Christine and the Queens - Chris

  by Dave Goodwin

published: 10 / 12 / 2018

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Review

It doesn't seem five minutes ago since we were enjoying Héloïse Letissier's AKA French pop songstress Christine and the Queens' debut album, 'Chaleur Humaine'. Released in 2014 it doesn't take any maths to work out it is four years since then. It is also over anopther two years since she was gracing 'Later...With Jools Holland' for the first time. But her history goes back a little further still. Having adopted the name Christine and the Queens whilst releasing her debut EP 'Miséricorde', she then independently followed it up with another EP in 2012 called 'Mac Abbeywith'. She was the opening act for Lykke LI, The Dø and Woodkid that same year and then for Lilly Wood and the Prick in 2013. Releasing her third EP entitled 'Nuit 17 à 52' she gained her first chart album on the official French Albums Chart SNEP with the help of its title track. Simply entitled 'Chris', this highly-anticipated sophomore album was not only written, arranged, and performed by Christine and the Queens, but also recorded in both English and French. Letissier was born in Nantes, France in 1988 and studied theatre before forming Christine and the Queens, and anyone who has seen and heard the Michael Jackson dance-a-like will know her work combines music, performance, art videos, drawings and photography. This new outing is along the same lines as the last, but it is even funkier and down and dirty than the last album. Letissier has always had her roots planted firmly in the 80's but now there is some latter day R&B fused within it. You don't need to look any further than recent single 'Girlfriend' on this, which is performed. It's thicker and stickier than the sparse international hit 'Tilted'. There are some darker moments in here too, On 'The Walker' Letissier evokes fragile but brutal images. She masterfully examines and celebrates her own sexual identity and how it affects not just her strength but also vulnerable it can make here in certain situations and how she is treated within society. The highlight on here for me though is the smooth moving 'Doesn't Matter' which defies toe tapping and finger drumming. This is a good second outing for Christine and the Queens and gives a slight hint that hint that she can go in different directions with each release which begs the question of what is coming next. Whilst I enjoyed this, I also wait with anticipation for the next album

Track Listing:-

1 Comme si
2 Girlfriend (feat. Dâm-Funk) (feat. Dâm-Funk)
3 The walker
4 Doesn’t matter
5 5 dollars
6 Goya Soda
7 Damn (what must a woman do)
8 What’s-her-face
9 Feel so good
10 Make some sense
11 The stranger
12 Comme si on s’aimait
13 Damn, dis-moi (feat. Dâm-Funk) (feat. Dâm-Funk)
14 La marcheuse
15 Doesn't matter (voleur de soleil)
16 5 dols
17 Goya ! Soda !
18 Follarse
19 Machin-chose
20 Bruce est dans le brouillard
21 Le G
22 Les yeux mouillés
23 L’étranger (voleur d’eau)

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