| CD REVIEW Poesie Noire |
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Band : Poesie Noire Rejoice, Belgian lovers of '80s EBM & Electro Pop music, for '80s icon band Poésie Noire has returned with their first album in 19 years...and that in the core-trio format (originally the band was a 7-piece act) of Johan Casters (electronics & male vocals), Marianne (keyboards & lead vocals) and Herman Gillis (guitar). It would really take me too long to give you an extended history-of-the-band, so those really interested should perhaps turn over to the band's page on Wikipedia (preferably àfter having read this review, of course). At the beginning of the '90s a female acquaintance of mine donated several of the band's releases to my vinyl collection, and although the material has remained hidden in their safe corner ever since, I still have fond memories from the listening sessions I gave it back then. That's why I claim to know that the band's music has hardly changed over time. In the beginning days of the band some critics, based on the band's Belgian origins and the fact that they developed a Goth-oriented synthetic gloomy universe with low-pitched voices, were ready to categorize PN into the Industrial EBM genre of the days (alongside contemporary acts à;Grumh or A Split Second), but actually PN had a wish to step away from the Industrial harshness which typified Electronic Body Music...and they therefore developed the more accessible Dark Pop style for which they became known, which also allowed the band to be seen as a plain New Wave or Goth Wave band. As mentioned earlier, the band has maintained that sound of old, with the guitar being played more as an additional background, and more “aggressive” (let's exaggerate a bit) danceable moments with soft-EBM touch being generated mainly through synths/ keyboards. Half of the 10 songs (first 4 and the closing tracks) have mixed male/ female vocals, which occasionally works kinda funny, like in album opener “The Air”, with Marianne as lead singer talking about typical male problems in the first person! A couple of the songs don't even have any guitar in 'em...I think! But in some songs the subliminal sound of the guitar is simply delicious. Sure, you mustn't expect any shredding, nor even any prominent guitar sounds (well, a couple of acoustic passages during “Eureka” dó see the guitar actually coming to the fore more than in any of the other songs), as for the most part the guitar is used subliminally, but the way it's all done is quite tasteful, and needs a guitarist able to restrain himself, such as PN actually hàve! A peculiarity, and I'm not sure whether the band ever did such a thing in their past, comes with the song “Sie Sonne” which has both German and English lyrics...with a twist! Because rather than alternating one sentence or verse in different languages, you'll find sentences started in the one and finished in the other...which has a somewhat odd effect, but certainly works to add the Goth touch! Should go down well in Germany, this one! Aaàch, with most of Concrete Web's readers' musical preferences geared towards guitar-driven music, I realize well enough that most of 'em will have already reverted to another review...but for those open-minded enough, for those into Goth Wave with a knowledge of '80s music, for the few with enough maturity (“Old guys, like myself,” he said with a boyish wink) to get a nostalgic feel from this kind of music, here's a true treasure to be discovered! Those among you not belonging to any of the 3 aforementioned groups of people, but belonging to the fourth, namely those whom were swept away with my fluent style of writing, can now find themselves given an extra treat, as I strongly recommend all of you to go check not only a couple of songs...but the complete album...at (www.) myspace.com/poesienoire. Yeah man, the more listen to this, the more I like it. Hell, although originally a guitar-lover, I've always been into electronic music, especially when mixed with guitar (no matter of how prominent the last is present)! In fact, if I were able to listen to this album more, I would definitely add it to my year-lists. Hum, come to think of it, why don't I do that pre-emptively anyway, in spite of the moderate rating I'm giving the album at the moment? 94/100 Tony. |