LA FIN DE L'ÉCONOMIE

Over the years I have become quite the Aquaserge fan. This is just a band that hardly knows any limits. They can be very subtle, artful, theatric and whimsical, but also suddenly aggressive and punk. There is sound experimentation, but also deceptively nice and smooth parts, conventional song-shaped, complex and rather anarchist parts, grooving and rhythmless parts. Certanly there is more rock and song format here than on their previous, very avantgarde album. Also the sound is a quirky mix of handmade and down to earth, with some electronic trickery mixed in. As a whole the album doesn't even feel disjointed. It is apparently a concept album, and some thread can also be perceived by those who can't follow the French lyrics. The occasional sudden change may shock the all too superficial listener though. There is so much creativity in this album, it's stunning. On the more critical side, the vocals are not at the highest level, although they are OK and work well for the songs, and I haven't found a standout track that I want to listen to again and again. Maybe it will still come. Anyway, big fun, a solid 4 stars and my album to beat in 2024.