As a concept Nouvelle Vague, a collection of two multi-instumentalists producers teaming up with French and Brazillian singers to reinterpret some classic songs in a bossanove stylee, is somewhere down there with the Mike Flowers Pops and seems like someone has set this up purely for a joke. But to dismiss this album as mere frivolity would be to do it a great dis-service.
Yes at times it is playful and will bring many a wry smile to the faces of those familar with the originals, but many of these songs could easily stand on their own feet without the weight of history behind them.
The joy in this collection is two-fold. You can delight at hearing new versions of some classics tunes you know and love (Love Will Tear Us Apart, Teenage Kicks) but you also have the excitement of rooting out the original versions of those tracks you haven't heard before (and shame on you for not having heard of them).
The picks of the bunch are the afforementioned Love Will Tear Us Apart (which rather surprisingly captures the hopelessness I always felt was prevalent in Joy Division's song), A Forest (giving the Cure classic a totally tropical taste - Copyright LILT) and Too Drunk To Fuck (which turns the somewhat dark Dead Kennedy's version completely on it's head).
Whilst not all the collection can reach these heights (and there is only so much of this style of music the Dean can take in one sitting) there are very few stinkers, with even the lesser tracks, such as Making Plans For Nigel, being perfectly pleasant, if somewhat instantly forgettable on occasions. Still this is a worthwhile purchase to say the least for those looking for something a little different.
Icon's View - 4 out of 5
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