Gypsophile vs Shop - Deux Musiciens En Crise

  by Charles Howarth

published: 7 / 1 / 2003

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Review

Quirky French pop has come through something of a renaissance in recent years, with its chief proponent Serge Gainsbourg having made the leap in the public mind from cheesy crooner to counterculture hero. Gypsophile can quirk it with the best of ‘em. 'Deux Musicians en Crise' is, apparently, “the definitive edition of a schizo pop classic that never got a proper release.” A shame, since the thirteen tracks on the album contain some charming, if wilfully obtuse, pieces of music. Guillaume Belhomme, “Radio Khartoum's resident nocturnal crooner and nouvelle chanson française ambassador”, also known as Gypsophile, has teamed up with Emmanuel Lamour alias Shop, “Drummer for classic French indiepoppers Des Garçons Ordinaires, trash electronics aficionado, multi-instrumentalist (and fine whistler).” It would be easy to say that the collaboration reaps rich rewards, but not knowing anything about either artist, they might very well sound like this all the time. Suffice to say that the album certainly sustains the listener’s interest throughout, simply by being unpredictable. Much of the music (Y'our Garden Party', 'Cubic Fanfare Club #3', 'Things’ll Be Arranged') is very much folk-driven balladry, albeit extremely French folk-driven balladry. It puts paid to the theory that only the English hold the keys to the goodtime folksong tradition of the Kinks or Blur. The rest of it is an odd but endearing mix of lo-fi electronica ('Our Bright Hours', 'Apart (Shaggy Short Mix) 0', Smiths/Pet Shop Boys melancholy ('The Only One') and outright oddball craziness ('Three Ending Points'). As the record label bumpf says, it is indeed “Part collaboration, part smash up, all French”. It’s also charming, endearing, engaging and fascinating.

Track Listing:-

1 (Three Beginning Points)
2 Like It Or Not
3 Cubic Fanfare Club #3
4 Our Bright Hours
5 The Only One
6 Things Will Be Arranged
7 Apart (Shaggy Short Mix)
8 Matto Grosso
9 Your Garden Party
10 L" Mouth
11 Four Roses For Rose
12 Rien surtout
13 Three Ending Points)