Coralie Clement 'Bye Bye Beaute' album

“Bewildering but happy nonetheless” is how Coralie Clément describes the three-year period since the release of her first album: three years of change, encounters and concerts that took the young French singer as far as Japan, and a chain of events that offered Coralie a precious opportunity to “get to know how music works.”

Coralie felt the urge to step up her musical career soon after her first album: “The truth is, I wanted to make a second album right away, but I didn't dare admit it out loud!” Though she resolved to invest even more of herself in the next venture, she didn't feel ready to complete the album single-handedly quite yet.

The new record started to take shape over the course of various trips to New York. In search of a rockier edge to her music, Coralie met up with Nada Surf, an American group that she instantly clicked with, and she spent some time listening to music from Blonde Redhead, Ed Harcourt, Stina Nordenstam and Metric - pillow talk that unexpectedly served as a source of inspiration for her own sound. Together with her band, she locked herself away in the rehearsal studio, tirelessly scribbling ideas in notebooks.

Indécise, a track that owes a thing or two to Shiva, the god of destruction, is also a souvenir of Coralie's time in the Big Apple, with haunting Mariachi trumpets that are a shout-out to the band Calexico. This cut sets the tone for BYE BYE BEAUTÉ, the album Coralie speedily recorded in Paris and Brooklyn during the summer. This razor-sharp, to-the-point collection is also a family affair: Coralie couldn't imagine making an album without her brother, musician Benjamin Biolay, who dusted off his old guitar, switched on a spluttering, antiquated amp and rediscovered his teenage days. Two or three calls later, a core group of longstanding musician friends also came by the studio to play it loud and play it proud - no pressure, just for the fun of it and in remembrance of things past.

Next up are the tracks L'Enfer and Un Beau Jour Pour Mourir, where Coralie's voice sets the melody afloat over a harsh musical backdrop, creating an island of tenderness in a rocky landscape where soft vocals skirt the restrained violence of guitars. Kids reveals Coralie's pop side: sure to be a hit, the chorus of this track will resound in the minds of teenagers everywhere, who will identify with the spirited lyrics. All through this album, the intensity, authenticity, and even crudeness of the words stand in stark contrast to the pop/rock character of Coralie's voice: the success of BYE BYE BEAUTÉ lies in this contrast.

In Avec ou Sans Moi, Coralie pokes fun at her life as a Frenchwoman in New York, with Daniel Lorca of Nada Surf answering back in the mischievous yet disillusioned Mais Pourtant. The title track Bye Bye Beauté is not a mere nod to the Velvet Underground: this sublimely accomplished song qualifies as an outright tribute to the group. The intensity of the rhythm is matched only by the passion of the lyrics.

This album also brings together a collection of stirring ballads, including the magical Gloria, which has a flute arrangement straight from heaven; the stark Beau Fixe, where Coralie's voice is stripped bare by a Fender Rhodes; and Epilogue, where she demonstrates her talent for reinventing herself.

A second chance to make a first impression?

Do you also would like to share your opinion? If so, please register or login here.

Tags

Details

Popular Songs

New Songs

Tracklisting

Coralie Clement - Bye Bye Beaute