Review Summary: Endearingly catchy, contagious and fun, Yelle's third outing is a simply wonderful showcase of sounds, timbres and textures, showing just how pop music should be done.
I did not expect to enjoy this as much as I did.
When I first listened to Yelle, it was on that YouTube / radio-station channel KEXP. Yelle started their set off with album opener, and title track, "Complètement fou". My first reaction was that it was eccentrically euro-pop; a contagious midi-keyboard line and a four-to-the-floor kick pattern. But something about the performances captivated me to listen-on; two 'robot drummers', Yelle's (Julia Budet) quirky dance-moves, and, what was a taste of something nostalgically whimsical, kept me listening to the set for the next half-an-hour.
So, when I heard that Yelle had basically exploded, touring with the likes of Katy Perry, playing Coachella, and having over two-hundred thousand Facebook likes, I went over to good ol' Sputnikmusic expecting a funky-fresh review of her 2014 release: but alas no! The album wasn't even on the database…
And this had me thinking: how is Yelle still that underground, yet that seemingly popular, to not even be on an aggregate music review site such as this? Is it because she's French? Is it because people don't care about euro-pop? (if you can even call it that- the album goes through quite an array of sonic-landscapes). I just didn't get it. But I think that's part of the charm listening to this album: I'm listening to something that's made to be popular / accessible, yet I found it through my own back, and not through being splashed with iTunes ads or seeing her name all over music news. And with that it allowed me to listen to it with an open-mind, without thinking "oh it's Miley Cyrus" or it's a "Ke$ha" album so therefore I won't even give it a chance..."
Okay, okay, I'm tangenting a bit (I think that's a verb? whatever). The album is really rather good. It's gloriously eclectic in style, moving from the absolutely brilliant opener 'Complètement fou', to the pseudo gothic-pop of 'Jeune fille garnement'. Favourite tracks include 'Coca sans bulles': a bass-led track with a wicked, dark-minor verse, yet a contrasted light, airyated chorus and bridge. Wonderfully written and performed, with a hook that'll be stuck in your head for days, it really hits all the targets for a great pop-track. Other favourites include 'Moteur action' and segue track 'Nuit de baise II', as well as the brilliant 'Les soupirs et les refrains' (which has one of the best choruses of the album) all show Yelle’s song-writing finesse.
However, not everything is as wonderful as it can be. Soon-to-be single 'Ba$$in', as catchy as it is, simply falls flat after a few listens. Not only this but it really does cry euro-vision: it's catchy, enjoyable and fun, but after a while it just turns into one of those 'nah, I can't be bothered with this song' kinda tunes; it's unashamedly repetitive. Except a cool, electro-western bridge, the rest of the song kinda just drifts on the same, quintessential electronic dance groove. Moreover, the track 'Jeune fille garnement' may be an interesting track with its dark, moody bass and spontaneous, shifting synth notes, but alike 'Ba$$in', it does little to make the track move on its own. It does have a quirky little bridge section, but it’s no-where near as memorable or as brilliant as the previous tracks. In the context of the album the track works just fine, but unfortunately it just doesn't hold its own by itself.
What does make Yelle's ‘Complètement fou’ a success though is easily its ability to teach you French. Okay, that sounded stupid (and possibly ignorant) but it's so damn catchy, that after a few listens you'll be singing your absolute heart out, not knowing what the hell you're saying. It's pop song-writing at its finest. An example of this is the pretty ‘Florence en Italie’, which after a good few good listens, you’ll be attempting (and most likely failing) to sing all those French adjectives. Well, unless you’re French of course. Or can speak French. Or whatever.
Anyways, I digress. ‘Complètement fou’ is a great listen. Summer-infused soundscapes, 90/00s pop-inspired instrumentation and addictive, catchy hooks all equate to an album you’re simply not going to want to put down. It may have its short-comings, but when 70% of the album is up there with pop music’s finest you can’t really complain a whole-lot too much. If you want to welcome summer properly with a great soundtrack, or just looking for something that’s poppy, (but with a bit of a twist), don’t look any further that Yelle’s third-outing.
