Vampire Weekend,
Only God was above us
Fifth album already for the group assembled in New York by Ezra Koenig,
Only God was above us
is one of the greatest successes to be credited to the group. Since its sensational appearance in 2008 with an eponymous album, Vampire Weekend has never stopped questioning itself. After an exemplary trilogy, the indie group broadened its inspiration by signing with the Columbia label.
Father of The Bride
represented an inspired turning point. A dense and complex double album, it revealed the most introspective part of Koenig's writing. Five years later,
Only God was above us
looks more like a collective project. The band has never sounded more baroque than on this collection of songs full of exaltation. At the heart of the project, an enthusiasm as unbridled as it is uninhibited, which gives the record the appearance of a funfair without ever falling into the grand guignol.
Guitars bathed in fuzz, synthetic sounds, multiplied choirs, the instrumentality of the pieces gives them an indelible sonic identity. A large drawer disc,
Only God was above us
is not about to exhaust its numerous resources. And confirms that Ezra Koenig is one of the surest talents to have emerged from the New York scene at the beginning of the century. Although he is now based on the west coast with one of Quincy Jones' daughters, the forty-year-old has lost none of his relevance, quite the contrary. Looking forward to the concerts!
Garbage,
Bleed Like Me
In 2005, the release of
Bleed Like Me
was hailed as a refreshing return to roots for this group formed ten years earlier. Under the aegis of Butch Vig, who became a star after producing Nirvana's album
Nevermind
, Garbage distinguished himself on four albums in highly produced rock, full of electronic sounds. In reality, the group's records, full of hits, ended up sounding artificial.
Bleed Like Me
is the sound of a group relearning how to play together without constantly relying on machines. The studio sessions were the subject of profound questioning. Ultimately, the band's live approach prevailed. Shirley Manson sings there better than ever, and with great conviction, texts steeped in the news of the time: the war led by Bush Jr's America against Iraq, so much criticized. The urgency of the subject provides some welcome insights. The presence of Dave Grohl on drums takes the band to the heights on the first track,
Bad Boyfriend
. Nearly two decades after its release, this reissue shows that the live option taken by the group gives it a timeless side.
Bleed Like Me
has aged much better than Garbage's other albums, which were too marked by the technology of their time.