Okay I'm cheating for the second day in a row. This is another EP not a full album, what can I say, it's been a busy week!
While we wait expectantly for his debut album it's worth checking out last years excellent IRON E.P. by Woodkid
Woodkid is the non de plume of French musician, graphic designer and director Yoann Lemoine. Amongst his better known work are the promos for Lana Del Ray's 'Born To Die', Katy Perry's 'Teenage Dream' as well as winning major awards at the Cannes for his smart AIDS awareness campaign, 'Graffiti'. He's also a seriously talented musician. Doesn't it just make you sick.
The lead track Iron is remarkable.
It opens to trumpets blasts that seem to herald the coming of the apocalypse. Gloomy beats fused with warlike tribal drums thunder behind Lemoine's gently atmospheric vocals. The lyrics appear to be told from the perspective of a soldier who's survived a great battle and is now alone surviving in a snowy wilderness awaiting his fate, the abyss before him. It would make the perfect accompaniment to an episode of Game of Thrones. In fact the track was used last year as the trailer music for the videogame Asssasin's Creed.
The tone changes completely on second track 'Brooklyn', an acoustic guitar and piano-led love letter to his favourite of NY's five boroughs. It's has an autumnal melancholy feel. Listening to it, its impossible not to imagine dusk's golden light hitting the red brick walls that line the streets of Williamsburg or the faded amusement park of Coney Island.
'Baltimore's Fireflies' is similarly haunting. In comparison the track 'Wasteland' is almost jaunty whilst still retaining the EP sadly nostalgic tone, its the kind of beautiful melancholia Rufus Wainwright does so well.
IRON E.P. is rounded off with two remixes of the title track. The first by The Warm Jets gives the track beefed up electronic sound, especially when the bass kicks in at 3 minutes. Get that volume turned right up for it! It kind of steals the thunder of the second mix by Gucci Vump which sets the track to a deep house beat. Its a bit "meh!"
'IRON'
'BROOKLYN'
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