Sebastien Tellier - Sexuality
I wanted to like this album, I really did. I wanted it to be great. “La Ritournelle” still gets played on my iPod on a near-daily basis, several years after I first heard it. I find it to be a very beautiful song.
For someone to claim that Sexuality is a beautiful album, however, a looser definition of beauty would have to be used. Perhaps in the same way as one might remark that a lesbian threesome is beautiful. Gone are the jazzy drums, the groovy bass and reverberating grand piano. In its place, several synths and a primitive drum machine. The whole 80’s revival is in full force, which I try my hardest to stomach, with moderate success.
But what I just cannot understand, is who decided it would be a good idea to have the sound of a woman in apparent ecstasy moaning throughout the entire album. It’s as if an incredibly cheesy porno is on in the background of whatever room you choose to listen to the CD in. Whoever this wench is, she apparently climaxes somewhere during “Pomme,” but the euphoric whimpers don’t stop there, unfortunately.
Elsewhere our sexy lady contributes odd backing vocals, most notably in “Divine,” the only song I’d heard before buying the CD, thanks to Tellier taking it to Eurovision 2008 on behalf of France. “Divine” is upbeat and interesting, but sadly is the only song of its sort on the album.
Another major flaw of Sexuality, porn soundtrack aside, is its repetitiveness. The songs all follow similar formulas: lots of arpeggios, synth chord stabs, and loops. Most songs could easily have had a minute or two shaved off them, though I suppose if they were intended to be long and… uh, sexy?… then perhaps this can be forgiven.
And yet, I seem to be forcing myself to like some of it. Perhaps it’s Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo’s production, although if I didn’t know he was one half of Daft Punk I’d probably just claim it was shit. “Roche” is quite slow and monotonous for an opening track, but I like the tune, so five minutes of the same tune repeated does work… I guess. I suspect it shall soon start to grate.
I read somewhere that Tellier likened Sexuality to Justin Timberlake or Beyonce’s style of RnB, except that his approach was “less vulgar.” But as far as I’m aware, nowhere in Beyonce’s discography is there a track with members of either sex apparently fudding themselves in the background. Or a naked bitch on the front cover.
Come on now, Sebastien, I know you’re french, but give me a break.
I wanted to like this album, I really did. I wanted it to be great. “La Ritournelle” still gets played on my iPod on a near-daily basis, several years after I first heard it. I find it to be a very beautiful song.
For someone to claim that Sexuality is a beautiful album, however, a looser definition of beauty would have to be used. Perhaps in the same way as one might remark that a lesbian threesome is beautiful. Gone are the jazzy drums, the groovy bass and reverberating grand piano. In its place, several synths and a primitive drum machine. The whole 80’s revival is in full force, which I try my hardest to stomach, with moderate success.
But what I just cannot understand, is who decided it would be a good idea to have the sound of a woman in apparent ecstasy moaning throughout the entire album. It’s as if an incredibly cheesy porno is on in the background of whatever room you choose to listen to the CD in. Whoever this wench is, she apparently climaxes somewhere during “Pomme,” but the euphoric whimpers don’t stop there, unfortunately.
Elsewhere our sexy lady contributes odd backing vocals, most notably in “Divine,” the only song I’d heard before buying the CD, thanks to Tellier taking it to Eurovision 2008 on behalf of France. “Divine” is upbeat and interesting, but sadly is the only song of its sort on the album.
Another major flaw of Sexuality, porn soundtrack aside, is its repetitiveness. The songs all follow similar formulas: lots of arpeggios, synth chord stabs, and loops. Most songs could easily have had a minute or two shaved off them, though I suppose if they were intended to be long and… uh, sexy?… then perhaps this can be forgiven.
And yet, I seem to be forcing myself to like some of it. Perhaps it’s Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo’s production, although if I didn’t know he was one half of Daft Punk I’d probably just claim it was shit. “Roche” is quite slow and monotonous for an opening track, but I like the tune, so five minutes of the same tune repeated does work… I guess. I suspect it shall soon start to grate.
I read somewhere that Tellier likened Sexuality to Justin Timberlake or Beyonce’s style of RnB, except that his approach was “less vulgar.” But as far as I’m aware, nowhere in Beyonce’s discography is there a track with members of either sex apparently fudding themselves in the background. Or a naked bitch on the front cover.
Come on now, Sebastien, I know you’re french, but give me a break.
1 comment:
There was much vomit and I pee on myself.
Post a Comment