The French neoclassical
darkwave band Collection d'Arnell-Andréa
founded by Jean-Christophe d'Arnell (main composer, writer, piano/keyboards)
and Chloé St Liphard (vocalist) in 1986 are back with their 10th studio album.
The album "Another Winter" was released on February the 22nd, by
Trisol, 9 years after their previous album "Vernes-Monde" on the Prikosnovénie
label.
Here, Jean-Christophe
d'Arnell composes once again melancholic poetic music combining cello and
keyboards with the outstanding voice of Chloé Saint-Liphard, the female-singer.
This time, their darkwave, neoclassical style has been merged with downtempo
and synth-pop elements. From the first song "By The Pond" we are
introduced to their new modern sound. More ethereal dreamy pop and less modern
classical. On "Pangs Of Severance" Chloé sings over electric noisy
guitars, arpeggio synths and a minimalist rhythmic loop. The next track "LeJour Venu" is more familiar since it moves in the romantic style, that we
are accustomed to, with nice touches of piano. The same can be said for "LesBlés-Océans" or even the groovier "The Grief Of Waves", since
they also sound fresh retaining that trademark emotional feel. The production
is neatly done combining modern studio tech and drum programming to their
symphonic classical structure.
On "TheShade Of A Flower", things get a bit darker and we get to hear the first
track dominated by male vocals. "Barks Of Rime" that follows is
another beauty with Chloé’s voice sounding as soft as velvet. On "LesBancs De Sable" and "Des Étangs En Exil" things become more
electronic but with the tenacious melancholy of a nostalgic piano adding to the
melody. On the albums homonymous track "Another Winter", like on most
of the other songs, the lyrics evoke the universality of passing times, the
sorrows and the mourning. But the remarkable thing is that these contemporary
elegies are turned towards the light, thanks to their heavenly vocals. It
starts off more like an electro track by gradually it turns into the typical
style of the band when the strings and martial drumming arrive in the mix. Towards
the end we find "Les Périssoires" that start off as a calm delicate
piece put progresses with a darker twist with addition of some spiraling
effects and heavy guitar. The closing track "Saules Sans Voix" has a
nice steady drum beat topped with cello and viola, giving it a breezy majestic
feel. Ending the album on a slightly more optimistic note.
In general, none
of the 12 tracks of "Another Winter" stand out. They all have the
same quality. The whole album floats into our ears effortlessly. An elegiac
album enmeshed in neoclassical drama and electronic finesse. The lead vocals provided
by Chloé St Liphard are captivating, while the keyboards, drum programming, drums,
backing vocals by Jean-Christophe d'Arnell are all top notch. The rest of the
band, Vincent Magnien (guitar), Franz Torres-Quevedo (bass), Carine Grieg (piano),
Xavier Gaschignard (cello) and Thibault D'Aboville (viola) all provide their
parts effectively giving that extra touch to make the compositions sound whole.
Review by Nick Drivas
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