Review Summary: In which Les Discrets "forget" what made their music so captivating to begin with...
Typically the first thing that pops up when discussing French act Les Discrets is how similar the band is to their peer, Alcest. And while Les Discrets has its own brand of post-rock/shoegaze, the correlations are difficult to ignore: ethereal atmospheres and cascading melodies with intermittent moments of heaviness. Each band features otherworldly vocals across these ever-changing soundscapes, all wrapped up in a slightly fuzzy production. The similarities do not end there, however, as each is so comfortable with their established sound, that neither band takes any risks. And while Les Discrets showed plenty of promise on 2010’s
Septembre Et Ses Dernières Pensées, the same vivacious and beautiful energy that made that album such a stellar debut has all but completely disappeared.
Now,
Ariettes Oubliées... is a very beautiful record--beautiful, albeit a little too safe. Where their debut knew how to captivate,
Ariettes Oubliées... feels unsure of what exactly it wants to do. The same semblance is present, and the same melodies are still lovely to hear, but it all feels so reserved. When Les Discrets pull out “more of the same,” it’s welcome because more of the same in this case happens to be great. But when songs like “La Nuit muette” open strongly only to end bewilderingly weak, it makes one wonder where the band’s ambitious truly lie. It’s as if the album is a shade of its predecessor; an outline that features the main idea of what Les Descrets is, but without the exhilarating details.
Although
Ariettes Oubliées... happens to fall flat in many respects, it is still a worthy listen nonetheless, featuring more intrigue and personality than its peers. In terms of atmosphere, few bands can outclass Les Discrets. The haunting marriage of post-rock and shoegaze gives the album a very warm and enveloping feeling, with the tones ranging from bright and hopeful to mysterious and bleak. The band as a whole was constructed for the purposes of combining visual and audio art, and they pull it off rather well. When dynamic songs such as “Les Regrets” kick in with their explosive climaxes, it’s easy to conjure up a bevy of mental images. The album features a much less prominent metal vibe in comparison to the band’s debut. Acoustic guitar plays a larger role, and it largely goes off without a hitch. The album’s most emotionally arresting song, “Apres l’Ombre,” utilizes the acoustic perfectly, with multiple voices echoing over a deceptively simple tune. It’s moments like these where Les Discrets shine, when veritable emotions mesh perfectly with the band’s well executed intentions.
Ariettes Oubliées..., in comparison to
Septembre Et Ses Dernières Pensées, fails to really get off the ground and soar to the heights Les Discrets are truly capable of. There are some wonderful ideas carried over from the debut, and a few new ones added as well, but as a whole the band feels much less willing to step outside their comfort zone. And sadly, the entire package suffers because of it. Yet despite this, there are plenty of engaging moments for one to immerse oneself.
