The Montreal darling is wonderfully alluring in her catchy mix of pop and indie instrumentation

Aux Alentours by Marie-Pierre Arthur

It is tricky reviewing an album that is not sung in your native language. In fact it seems almost a bit daft, your approach might be dictated by whatever fragmented translations you catch or become forced to make sweeping statements on the voice and production, which can take all the emotion out of the music. With this in mind, let me tell you a little about Marie-Pierre Arthur’s new album Aux Alentours.

Despite being a self professed folk artiste, the Montreal darling is wonderfully alluring in her catchy mix of pop and indie instrumentation plus the Danelectro style guitars and cymbal-light drumming add a hint of 1950s innocence and I-don’t-give-a-fuckery t’boot. I struggle to find an act that is close to Arthur, I’m not certain whether this is because I’m unaware of here French speaking peers or because she is that unique.

The album kicks off with the borderline guitar anthem “Fil De Soie”, cracking the sky open with more delay and reverb than a U2 nightmare - we find Marie-Pierre really showing little courtesy for her marketing’s declarations of being a folkish songwriter. And Aux Alentours doesn’t deviate from this pattern much at all. Bridging between a camp rock ‘n’ roll vibe (“Emmene-moi”) and a gorgeous Portishead style lady-croon (“A Partir de Maintenant”) Arthur delivers an unforgiving vocal assault which, despite the sparse understanding of the lyrics, show us a longing and loving that is sometimes unrequited but sometimes celebrated.

The entire ten track long player is a gorgeous post modern dream; a little bit 1950s, a little bit Beatles, and an awful lot 2012 indie.

Please visit mariepierrearthur.com for info and downloads.

Written by Ricky, Here Come Everyone, Posted on Sunday February 12 2012