After an EP 4 years ago, the band John & The Volta from Bordeaux revealed on March 24 its first album Low Life, composed of nine tracks both very different and irregular.
Led by the young Bordeaux Jonathan Ducasse, John & The Volta is an old project. Indeed, in 2013, with an EP of only 4 songs, the band had the opportunity to go to the final of the springboard of the inRocks Lab thanks to its mix of different genres and influences. Thus, some songs are very pop and others are more electro turning to techno and psychedelia. For once, John & The Volta can be reminiscent of the voice of Kevin Parker of the group Tame Impala superimposed on the instrumentals of The XX with notes of Oscar & The Wolf. However, on this new opus, some vintage touches are integrated effectively, we will think in particular of the synthesizer keys of Bad Dreams.
Like the cover, this album is both sensual and colorful, whether we like it or not, we find ourselves bewitched by this set of songs to imagine colors. Nocturnal music par excellence, John & The Volta does not revolutionize anything but manages to lay a good foundation for an almost new style mixing influences on each song: techno worthy of the biggest clubs in Berlin, pop of the 70s or colorful electro.
A fusion of colorful dreams…
Each title is unique and is discovered differently. (Not) Far From Love and Be There are minimalist ballads that, carried by John's voice, happen to be relaxing and exquisite. Low Light, short interlude of 1 minute cultivates the mystery specific to the group and would have its place in a David Lynch film without problem while for its part, 20 '' will expose you to a strong desire to dance. Bad Dreams, the first single we had already heard a few months ago, remains the most memorable song thanks to its chorus that could not be more catchy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHPDmfUncmg
… punctuated by some disappointments
Unfortunately, the big flaw of the album is that some titles can seem relatively long, especially the outro of Howling Waterfall already quite messy or Suddenly closing the album.
Paralized, an old song from the 2013 EP, here became Paralyzed, is revisited for a version barely more rhythmic and more anchored to the atmosphere of the other eight. Always strong of what made his success, he keeps his unique touch, which makes him one of the strong points of the album. Keeping it was a very good idea! In 2015, it was even the most listened to track in Bordeaux on Spotify.
Low Life is thus revealed as an album apart with its psychedelic and nocturnal universe specific to the group. Even if some songs manage to show all the potential of the band more than others, this first album remains surprising but above all very promising. In the end, it is on the softer titles that the singer's voice is the most pleasant, sublimated by worked music that we want to listen to all night.
Find the band in concert on April 15 at Krakatoa in Bordeaux for the release party of the album or on May 3 at the Pop-Up du Label in Paris.
