La Femme’s ability to dance across the spectrum of genres in their latest album makes it an instant standout of 2016. Mystére‘s opening jam, “Sphynx”, is a galloping techno groove accompanied by singer Clémence Quélennec’s bright vocals, directly followed by “Le vide est ton nouveau prenom,” an acoustic track with tambourine flourishes and spooky vocals. All throughout the collection, Quélennec pays homage to classic surf rock styles (“Où va le monde”), early pop (“Septembre”), spacey psych rock (“Always In The Sun”), and even throws drifty, ambient tracks in the mix (“Vagues”). What makes the album cohesive throughout its many influences is its use of dissonance. Eerie, murky synths are joined by strong, conversational vocals that trade French narratives throughout it’s entirety and keep listeners immersed in La Femme’s dark, twisted fantasy
From the rich French psych pool that seems to throw up a head-scratchingly heavenly album every year (see Turzi in 2015 and Moodoïd in 2014), the second full-lengther from the Biarritz collective was a bonkers race through reverberant surf-rock, baroque pop, rickety krautrock, serene space-disco, swinging yé-yé and then some. This everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach meant there was a surprise around every corner.
The Fat Angel Sings 