Singtank - Ceremonies (Parlaphone France Records)
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| Singtank - Ceremonies |
Release Date: 22nd September 2014
There are a butt load of duos out
there at the moment but very few are made up siblings and even fewer are made
up of a brother and sister combination from Paris. Alexandre and Josephine de La
Baume make up Singtank and they are an eclectically inspired pair as this album
demonstrates with aplomb. 'Here We Go
Again' gets things going with a blend of a Spanish lament and Vampire Weekend
set to a Hip-Hop beat before 'Frida' pops up sounding like something half way
between Sleigh Bells and a late 90s Nokia ringtone which is way better than it
sounds. There is a real 80s electro feel to the duo's version of 'Suspicious Minds'
which gives it an incredibly cinematic feel while 'Can You Hear Me?' sounds
like a UB40 tune being played on a cheap keyboard and Foals on production
duties. Are you following me on the eclecticism yet? Good.
On 'We Are' the range of tastes
takes a turn for the downright crazy as it blends Grandaddy and Elbow style
indie with panpipes of the Andes. Panpipes of the indies anyone? 'Tete Brulee'
is a gorgeous piece of lo-fi electro indie with roots in Stereolab or Pulp's
earlier stuff while 'FOMO' has a sinister vibe about it that reminds of the
likes of Beck and Eels in the best possible way. Normally people blame the
parents but in this case I can only assume that Mr & Mrs de La Baume have
an awesome record collection....and it was probably all on vinyl too. The simple
piano melody on 'Looking For My Sister' is steeped in Motown style before
giving way to the laconic and thoroughly French ballad 'Old Tunes'. 'La Vie En
Octets' has a sparkling, early morning feel to it with rippling keyboards and
dreamy vocals creeping in with the gentle rising of the sun. Then again,
'Coming Down' has more of a contemporary down tempo indie feel with those
luxurious vocals playing off against each other beautifully.
As the album reaches its
unpredictable climax, 'When' rolls around the corner with a breathy, euphoric
and optimistic feeling before the album closes with 'Ursus' which is an epic
modern pop ballad in the style of Lana Del Ray. The beauty of this album lies
in the range of styles, genres and moods taken in by this duo as well as the
way their voices contrast and combine so beautifully. Ceremonies is sublime and constantly
surprising stuff.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/singtank?fref=ts
Live Dates:
23rd October - Le Nouveau Casino, Paris