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DVDfever.co.uk – Emily Loizeau: Pays Sauvage CD reviewElly Roberts reviews
Bella Union Records
- Released: Out now
- Rating: 8/10
Hippy… French style.
With the benefit of a French father and English mother (her grandmother was acclaimed actress Peggy Ashcroft no less) bi-lingual Emily Loizeau can slip seamlessly from singing in French and English across her eclectic and often quirky take on contemporary folk music.
Having done stints training as a classical musician (piano forte) and in the theatre assisting composer and stage manager Georges Aperghis, she eventually decided to concentrate on a singing career at the age of 26.
Now 34, Loizeau emerges as a fascinating composer of rather idiosyncratic but charming songs, but even though her influences range from The Beatles to Tom Waits, this is effectively very much a French flavoured collection with tiny elements of English folk and Americana. The album title is a curious one indeed Pays Sauvage Wild Country.
She was actually born in the outskirts of Paris Neuilly-sur-Seine a suburb bordering the western limit of the French capital. It is however one of the most densely populated municipalities in Europe, so there might be something in it after all, though it probably refers to her recently acquired retreat in the southern region of Ardeche. Maybe not.Her previous debut album LAutre Bout Du Monde (On The Far Side Of The World) left us gasping with late night ambience.
Re-charging her batteries in Ardeche enabled her to shift about considerably with more adventure and playfulness, bringing on board a host of friends-cum-musicians to nail things down in a Paris studio.The most striking thing here is her youthful sounding voice, sounding like some freewheeling teenager that sits perfectly with the music. This could be the Cerys Matthews of France.
Americana infused Fais Battre is a laidback off- kilter gem held together by thumping drums (Cyril Aveque) plucking banjo and harmonica, giving it a deep southern flavour.Tell Me… is a gorgeous duet. Its pretty straight forward stuff accompanied by minimalist instrumentation, featuring rolling piano, whereas cheeky sways Sister is more akin to Devendra Banharts more commercial leanings, if thats possible.
Child-like La Derniere Pluie does everything it says on the tin simple tapping percussion, whistling and recorder all plodding along in unison.One of many highlights is the impeccable string drenched ballad Songes, with that voice adding yet more teenage-like yearning, while whacky Coconut Madam and Prices And The Toad draw heavily on pseudo-theatrical sojourns with In Our Dreams steady sways more linked to 1960s California folk. This is the jewel in the crown without doubt.
The verdict Just lovely.
Weblinks:emilylozeau.fr (in French) /myspace.com/emilyloizeau (Audio clips & tour dates)
The full list of tracks included are :
1. Pays Sauvage
2. Fais Battre Ton Tambour
3. Tell Me That You Dont Cry
4. Sister
5. La Derniere Pluie
6. Songes
7. Coconut Madam
8. La Femme A Barbe
9. Princess And The Toad
10. Ma Maison
11. In Our Dreams
12. Dis Moi Que Toi Tu Ne Pleures Pas
13. Le Coeur Dun Geant
14. La Photographie
15. Facing A World Of Anger
16. That Little Something
Elly Roberts passed away in 2011, but he was a man who was so passionate about all types of music and loved meeting his musical heroes, such as Mick Hucknall at a book signing at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2007.
A former teacher and also a music journalist, DJ and radio presenter on local community station Calon FM, plus appearances on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 2, Elly started doing reviews for DVDfever.co.uk in 2004 and he did the majority of the CD and concerts reviews on the website.
I know also that he loved getting away for the summer to Spain and I hope that wherever he is now he is enjoying the hot sunshine and, as one of his friends has said on his Facebook page, that he is interviewing his musical heroes.