Nouvelle Vague

You'll love this if you a) like this style of music or b) love these songs and like to here them reworked and reborn. I fall into both camps and as a result I am deligted by what is on offer here.

What strikes you most is how well the songs themselves stand up to such a bear, low-key interpretation. An undoubted testament to the original artists and their songs.

I have only given it 4 stars because, if there is a criticism, it is that the arrangement and sound of each song is a little to similar and perhaps some variation on instrumentation would be welcomed. That said, each song is wonderfully put together and the vocals are sublime.

This album is one of the eternal joys of music. Its all too easy to follow the same route to new music Artist A has a new album, buy new album. The real treats are the ones that come out of nowhere and surprise you. This is such a treat and worthy of a listen.

Hopefully they'll do a follow-up, maybe something a little newer, Big Mouth Strikes Again would be a great choice!

Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart" has been covered many times before but has never been suffused with such longing, like lying on a beautiful tropical beach as the sun goes down contemplating a love left behind on the other side of the world. The version of Public Image Limited's "This Is Not Love Song" exchanges the mocking snarl of John Lydon's delivery for that of a sassy French diva singing in a voguish underground club, simultaneously sounding both breathlessly seductive and coldly detached. And the Cure's "A Forest" is transported from the depths of the cold, dank darkness of the original to a tropical rainforest repleat with the chirruping of nameless insects and the squawking of exotic birds, something sinister lurking in the undergrowth as the percussion builds to a tense climax.

A couple of the tracks don't quite reach the generally high standard of the rest of this collection but the two tracks that represent the album's pinnacle more than make up for this. Both "In A Manner Of Speaking" and "Making Plan's For Nigel" are nothing short of beautiful, filled with a poignancy and sadness that instantly makes you want to hear them again as soon as their last note dies away.