Following a pair of collaborative albums -- one a tribute to Hollywood's Chateau Marmont with Chilly Gonzales, the other with his improvisational art rock group, Jarv Is -- Jarvis Cocker takes another unpredictable stylistic turn with his first solo album in 12 years, Chansons d'Ennui Tip-Top. A tie-in to the soundtrack for the 2021 Wes Anderson film The French Dispatch , it offers 12 cinematic covers of classic French pop songs, some with ties themselves to other films. A collaboration with Anderson, the record closes on ...
Read More
Following a pair of collaborative albums -- one a tribute to Hollywood's Chateau Marmont with Chilly Gonzales, the other with his improvisational art rock group, Jarv Is -- Jarvis Cocker takes another unpredictable stylistic turn with his first solo album in 12 years, Chansons d'Ennui Tip-Top. A tie-in to the soundtrack for the 2021 Wes Anderson film The French Dispatch , it offers 12 cinematic covers of classic French pop songs, some with ties themselves to other films. A collaboration with Anderson, the record closes on the larger-than-life "Aline," Cocker's version of the hit '60s ballad by Christophe that he recorded for The French Dispatch soundtrack and which inspired a full album of like-minded covers. Steeped in echo, thundering drums, harpsichord, and a weave of strings and soaring backing vocals, it's guided by Cocker's spoke-sung vocals as they rise from sultry whispers to tortured pleas. Generally using the dramatic, stylized arrangements of the originals as templates throughout, he opens the album with "Dans Ma Chambre" and, loyal to the Dalida original, a quote of the famous opening to Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor , which recurs during the song. A highlight for its quirky theatricality, the space-age "Contact," a Serge Gainsbourg tune made famous by Brigitte Bardot, is a fairly spot-on cover by Cocker, who has Bardot-like vocal support on the choruses. Speaking of guests, Stereolab's Laetitia Sadier is featured prominently on another Dalida entry, "Paroles Paroles," the singer's seductive 1973 duet with actor Alain Delon. The Tip-Top version employs a similar palette but emphasizes piano, bass, hand drums, and eventually strings over the original's bossa-style guitar, though all this and more comes into play on both editions. Elsewhere here, French cinema is represented on tracks such as "Requiem pour un Con," a Gainsbourg original from the 1968 film Le Pacha , the psychedelic "Mao Mao" from 1967's La Chinoise , and the finger-snapping funk entry "Elle et Moi," an earlier track included in 2003's Any Way the Wind Blows (featuring a dramatic reading in the style of the '80s new beat original by Max Berlin). Intriguing from beginning to end, Cocker's lush, emphatic takes should delight fans of vintage French and Baroque pop. ~ Marcy Donelson, Rovi
Read Less
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Fair. Ex-Library rental. Disc(s) are professionally cleaned and may contain only light scratches that do not effect functionality. Includes disc(s), case, and artwork. May be missing booklet. Disc(s), case, and artwork may contain library/security stickers and ink writing. ARTWORK IS UNORIGINAL AND PRINTED BY LIBRARY. Case and artwork may show some wear. Case may not be an original jewel case. All disc(s) are authentic.
