pierre & bastien: musique grecque

Pierre & Bastien's third studio album, Musique Grecque, shows the band at its best with a well-constructed set of songs. Paul Jimenes's lyrics hold nothing back, juggling private and social subjects brilliantly. Dark and menacing moods chase the light and brighter ones; Once again this fight of the soul puts the listener at the heart of the band's life. Musically, the band is more powerful and intense as ever: guitarist Baptiste Nollet is particularly dazzling and Frédéric Trux pounds sometimes a nearly industrial rhythm to the songs. Their sound has echoes of bands like Wire, Wipers, Dogs, Metal Urbain or Reich Orgasm. The sheer brutality or depraved psychedelics displayed on some tracks contrast with the pop-like vocal harmonies of others. From the minimalist and destructive opener "Sympa" to the dark and disturbing closer "A Nu", from the striking "Secret" to the light "Musique Grecque", Pierre & Bastien have crafted a dense, varied and more-complex-than-it-seems album.