Nouvelle Vague (album)

Nouvelle Vague is the debut studio album by the French band Nouvelle Vague. It was first released on 9 August 2004 on Peacefrog Records.

Nouvelle Vague
Studio album by
Nouvelle Vague
Released9 August 2004 (2004-08-09)
Genre
Length46:30
Label
ProducerNouvelle Vague
Nouvelle Vague chronology
Nouvelle Vague
(2004)		 Bande à Part
(2006)
US release cover

The album consists entirely of easy listening and bossa nova versions of songs that were written and recorded during the post-punk/new wave era. The band's name is a play on words, new wave and bossa nova being the literal translations, in English and Portuguese respectively, of the French phrase Nouvelle Vague, which is itself a reference to the French cinema movement of the 1950s and 1960s.[1] The songs were recorded with female vocalists who had not previously heard the songs they would be covering.[2]

Background and production

Marc Collin and Olivier Libaux began work on the project in 2003, after Collin had the idea of covering Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart" in a bossa nova style.[3] Libaux later explained: "I met Marc Collin during the 90's, at a friend's place. Marc was the first musician I met in years who I could talk [to] about new wave music. For some reason, at the end of the 80's, punk and new wave music had turned into a sort of old-fashioned music, which nobody was talking about anymore. Meeting Marc, I could talk about The Stranglers, The Cure and The Sisters of Mercy again. We then have worked on a couple of albums he was producing ... Starting Nouvelle Vague was sounding obvious for us, as our ideas were matching, and the songs were happening well and quickly."[4] The album was produced and recorded over a period of eight months.[3]

Artwork

The Guardian included the album's artwork in a list of the ten "most beautiful sleeves of 2004".[5] The newspaper wrote, "The band's covers feature sultry 1960s figures, the work of fashion designer Giles Deacon, with a self-consciously lo-fi feel."[5] The album's art director was quoted explaining, "We were very anti-computer ... Each letter of the band's name was cut out by hand, but done so in a deliberately rigid manner, as a kind of whimsical nod to modernism."[5]

Release

Nouvelle Vague peaked at number 69 on the French album charts, spending a total of 39 weeks in the top 200.[6] The album also charted on Belgian album charts, peaking at number 100 in the Walloon chart and number 96 in the Flemish chart.[7][8] In 2006, it was reported that the album had sold more than 200,000 copies worldwide.[9]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[10]
Collective4/5[11]
Entertainment WeeklyB+[12]
The Guardian[13]
The Independent[14]
Mojo[15]
NME1/10[16]
Pitchfork7.0/10[17]
Q[18]
Rolling Stone[19]

Nouvelle Vague received generally positive reviews. Pitchfork's reviewer wrote, "The supposed ignorance of the singers plays well for this record's lack of irony, a big part of what makes it succeed as a well-meaning, well-executed novelty."[17] The Telegraph wrote, "Marc Collin and Oliver Libaux and their eight guest chanteuses transform these songs with such skill and sincerity to their Latin syncopation that each becomes altogether new and lovely."[1] The Guardian's reviewer wrote, "Only a frisky samba romp through Depeche Mode's 'Just Can't Get Enough' flirts with kitsch. Elsewhere, familiar lyrics and arrangements are turned inside out to generate frosty menace (The Clash's 'Guns of Brixton'), giggly coquetry ('Too Drunk To Fuck' by the Dead Kennedys) or haunting langour (The Cure's 'A Forest', teeming with birdsong)."[13]

The more negative reviews take issue with the concept of the album itself. AllMusic's review begins: "The best compliment that can be paid to Nouvelle Vague's self-titled debut album: it isn't as arch and smirking as a collection of bossa nova versions of new wave classics by fetching French and Brazilian chanteuses would suggest."[10] The NME gave the album a 1 out of 10 rating, writing, "the very concept of Nouvelle Vague - alternative '80s hits done in a deeply kitsch, sub-Bebel Gilberto sunset-samba style – is one that's so tired, so looooong past any imagined sell-by date that we're honestly astounded it exists."[16] Several reviewers drew comparisons, both favourable[13][20] and unfavourable,[16] with an album of Kraftwerk covers recorded by the German musician Uwe Schmidt (also known as Señor Coconut), El Baile Alemán (2000).

In 2015, The Telegraph named the album's cover of "Just Can't Get Enough" in a list of the "50 best covers".[21]

Track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Original artistLength
1."Love Will Tear Us Apart"
Joy Division3:18
2."Just Can't Get Enough"Vince ClarkeDepeche Mode3:07
3."In a Manner of Speaking"Winston TongTuxedomoon3:58
4."Guns of Brixton"Paul SimononThe Clash4:06
5."This Is Not a Love Song"
Public Image Ltd3:47
6."Too Drunk to Fuck" (omitted on US editions)Jello BiafraDead Kennedys2:16
7."Marian"
The Sisters of Mercy3:53
8."Making Plans for Nigel"Colin MouldingXTC3:32
9."A Forest"
The Cure3:39
10."I Melt with You"
  • Robbie Grey
  • Gary McDowell
  • Stephen Walker
  • Richard Brown
  • Michael Conroy
Modern English4:00
11."Teenage Kicks"John O'NeillThe Undertones2:13
12."Pssyche"
Killing Joke4:12
13."Friday Night Saturday Morning"Terry HallThe Specials4:22
Special edition bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Original artistLength
14."Sorry for Laughing"
Josef K3:09
15."Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You)"
A Flock of Seagulls2:42

Personnel
Nouvelle Vague
  • Marc Collin – keyboards, programming, arrangement, production, mixing
  • Olivier Libaux – bass, guitar, keyboards, arrangement, production, mixing
Vocalists
  • Eloisia – vocals ("Love Will Tear Us Apart" and "Just Can't Get Enough")
  • Camille – vocals ("In a Manner of Speaking", "Guns of Brixton", "Too Drunk to Fuck" and "Making Plans for Nigel")
  • Mélanie Pain – vocals ("This Is Not a Love Song" and "Teenage Kicks")
  • Alex – vocals ("Marian")
  • Marina Céleste – vocals ("A Forest" and "Sorry for Laughing")
  • Silja – vocals ("I Melt with You" and "Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You)")
  • Sir Alice – vocals ("Psyche")
  • Daniella D'Ambrosio – vocals ("Friday Night Saturday Morning")
Additional personnel
  • Nicolas Deutsch – double bass
  • Giles Deacon – illustration
  • Dylan Kendle – art direction
  • David Sheppard – liner notes

Charts
Chart (2004–05) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[7] 96
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[8] 100
French Albums (SNEP)[6] 69
UK Albums (OCC)[22] 114
US Top Dance/Electronic Albums (Billboard)[23] 9

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[24] Silver 60,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history
Region Date Label Catalogue no. Type
United Kingdom 9 August 2004 (2004-08-09) Peacefrog Records
  • PFG051
  • PFG051CD
 Standard edition
France 2 November 2004 (2004-11-02)
United Kingdom November 2004 (2004-11) PFG062CD Special edition
United States 3 May 2005 (2005-05-03) Luaka Bop 68089-90061-2 Standard edition

References
  1. Muggs, Joe (2 August 2004). "Pop CDs of the week: Teddy Wilson, Skinnyman and more: Nouvelle Vague". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 20 April 2006.
  2. O'Connor, Pauline (2 October 2005). "Nouvelle Vague: Offstage, the Band Plays On". The New York Times. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  3. Libaux, Olivier (7 July 2009). "Talking Shop: Nouvelle Vague". BBC News. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  4. Burger, David (30 January 2010). "Bossa nova meets new wave". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  5. Dunmore, Tom (17 December 2004). "The most beautiful sleeves of 2004". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
  6. "Lescharts.com – Nouvelle Vague – Nouvelle Vague". Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  7. "Ultratop.be – Nouvelle Vague – Nouvelle Vague" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  8. "Ultratop.be – Nouvelle Vague – Nouvelle Vague" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  9. Conte, Chritsophe (31 May 2006). "Nouvelle Vague: Bande à part". Les Inrockuptibles (in French). Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  10. Phares, Heather. "Nouvelle Vague – Nouvelle Vague". AllMusic. Retrieved 20 March 2006.
  11. Sullivan, Paul (30 July 2004). "nouvelle vague: nouvelle vague (peacefrog)". Collective. Archived from the original on 20 December 2006. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  12. Miller, Nancy (25 April 2005). "Nouvelle Vague: Nouvelle Vague". Entertainment Weekly: 147.
  13. Lynskey, Dorian (30 July 2004). "Nouvelle Vague, Nouvelle Vague". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  14. Price, Simon (1 August 2004). "Nouvelle Vague: Nouvelle Vague (Peacefrog)". The Independent.
  15. "Nouvelle Vague: Nouvelle Vague". Mojo. 2004.
  16. Fitzpatrick, Rob (21 September 2004). "Nouvelle Vague: The cold, dead hand of kitsch reaches the alternative '80s..." NME. Archived from the original on 10 March 2011. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  17. Crock, Jason (16 February 2005). "Nouvelle Vague: Nouvelle Vague". Pitchfork. Retrieved 20 March 2006.
  18. "Nouvelle Vague: Nouvelle Vague". Q. 2004.
  19. Swanson, David (10 February 2005). "Tweaked!: Nouvelle Vague, Nouvelle Vague". Rolling Stone (967): 84. Archived from the original on 11 February 2009. Retrieved 20 March 2006.
  20. Conte, Cristophe (30 April 2004). "Critique album". Les Inrockuptibles (in French). Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  21. Telegraph reporters (31 July 2015). "The 50 best covers". The Telegraph. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  22. "Chart Log UK: Nadanuf – Michael Nyman". Zobbel.de. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  23. "Nouvelle Vague Chart History (Top Dance/Electronic Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  24. "British album certifications – Nouvelle Vague – Nouvelle Vague". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 20 January 2018. Select albums in the Format field. Select Silver in the Certification field. Type Nouvelle Vague in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
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