Okay, stop sniggering at the back of the class. This is NOT one of those awful driving-anthem compilations with a macho name like LA Machine. Holden is, in fact, the name of one of the most impressive bands to come out of France in the last few years. And La Machine is a mesmerising collection of tunes from their first three albums.
Strung together, the songs boast an eclectic mixture of ambient electronica and glittery pop. Opener ‘C’est Plus Pareil’ is a slow burner that gradually carries Armelle Pioline’s yearning vocal into a growing psychedelic swirl of vibraphone and guitar. ‘L’essential’ oozes with a laid-back organ sound, lulling you into a sunshiney haze, before choppy drums herald an outro that you wish would never end. Then there’s the more shadowy ‘Charlie Rosie et Moi’: immerse yourself in the echoed guitar effects, then close your eyes and you feel like a character in a black and white spy movie.
Elsewhere, the Parisiens prove they can match their arty charm with pop nous. The title track, for example, is built around an effervescent rhythm and impossibly catchy melody, then laced with a wonky flute and 60s beat-style guitar. And ‘Une Fraction de Seconde’ embraces the pop vibe too, bouncing along on the back of an accordion and looped piano line. Like the rest of the record, its eccentricity is all part of the appeal.
By Andy McLean. Copyright held by authors.
Article first published in The Brag, Sydney, 2008.
La Machine is available through Valve/MGM.
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