Author: Arthur H.

Format: Enhanced

Release Date: 10-06-2003

Details: Amazon.ca Arthur H has the talent to surprise us with each new creation. After the sumptuous Pour Madame X – all in jazz-electro atmospheres –, followed by Piano solo – where, alone at the piano, he invited his audience to an intimate interpretation of his great successes – here he reveals, in White negress, a languid and surprisingly high voice on captivating melodies. A real discovery for which his rocky intonations had not prepared us. On the text side, it's a whole gallery of portraits, essentially female, that this fifth studio album takes us through, between realistic poetry (“Le Nantais”) and funny absurdity (“Nancy and Tarzan”, “Négresse blanche”). In terms of influences, apart from the obvious (Gainsbourg, Mélodie Nelson era, in “Le Jardin des délices” and “Bo Derek”; Tom Waits in the hypnotic “Raïssa”), there is like a perfume of Suzanne Vega in “Vénus rose”, sweet jazz-rock ballad, or Barbara in the refrain “Avanti!”. In terms of arrangements, the artist greatly broadens his palette, hitherto essentially jazz, and moves gracefully from square rock (“July 14, 2002”) to roaring techno (“City of Light”, “Lady X”); frankly pop melodies (“The Strange Legion”) with ethereal trip-hop atmospheres (“Prélude of Light”). The result of such eclecticism? Pure Arthur H: sensitive, playful and intoxicating, for an overall result less dark than the previous opuses, more accessible and, still, intensely tasty. --Nathalie Farage

UPC: 044007620724

EAN: 0044007620724

Languages: English

Binding: Audio CD

Item Condition: UsedVeryGood