Clémentine March covers a lot of ground on her new record. The material here on Powder Keg owes much to Stereolab, Astrud Gilberto, and even Tom Waits. The cuts sway and swing with a kind of disheveled grace that makes them poignant in a weird way.
Opener "After the Solstice" is the sound of a kind of resignation. The tune lurches forward but seems to be holding something back. It's got the same odd appeal that "Lixo Sentimental" and the title track have. One can hear bits of Rita Lee in this stuff, and it's obvious all throughout Powder Keg that Clémentine March is not only a devotee of Ms. Lee, but her earlier work in the seminal Os Mutantes.
March sings so much of this as if she just woke up. And while that sounds like a dig, it's not. This is effortlessly cool stuff, and her naturalistic vocals are only one part of the charm of this smartly arranged record. "Fireworks" is just a blast, for example. Sung in French and English, the song is like some odd combo from Gainsbourg and Kid Creole and the Coconuts. And most of this album is stuffed with similar efforts. Contributions all throughout Powder Keg from familiar names like Dana Gavanski, Katy J. Pearson, Sophie Jamieson, and others add to the rich, full sound of this release. It's as much a showcase for Ms. March as a singer as it is for her work as an arranger.
There's so much going on during the duration of Powder Keg that a listener is left modestly breathless. This is a breeze of a record, and one which offers up pleasures and surprises that so much of contemporary indie has seemingly forgotten how to deliver. Clémentine March remembers, and she knows how to make great music. Highly recommended.
Powder Keg by Clémentine March is out on PRAH Recordings on January 9. Details below.
[Photo: Clémentine March by Louise Mason]