Baleine - II

A Closer Listen

We came for the cover and stayed for the music.  The graphics by Hector Morcrette and Nicolas Fourgeaud make us eager for surf season, even if we’re about to surf on the Rainbow Bridge right into the center of a visually-challenged blowfish.  We’re aware that in the world of infinite possibilities, such things can happen. The waves look particularly placid, so we’re willing to take the risk.

Baleine is essentially a post-rock band, self-described as “stripped down.”  This refers not to their surfing clothes, but to their setup: “Two guitars, one drum kit, and that’s it.”  This doesn’t stop them from making a great racket and having a whole lot of fun.  For those who may be wondering, the lead track “Février” was indeed released in February, so fans could get a taste of it in its requisite month; the whole album tilts toward summer.  This opening piece is slower than the rest, patiently introducing its players as they pack for warmer climes; but the music already sounds languid and warm.  The drummer waits until the end for his gentle, knowing solo.

The surf guitar enters in the second track, the tempo still biding its time.  We are easing our way into a new season, the lifeguards braving chilly waters in order to earn employment.  Halfway through “Bleu,” the timbre turns metallic for a moment before entering a more energized phase, revisiting it at the end; one can imagine dancers enjoying the transitions.  “Selection” starts like “My Sharona,” the drummer shifting to the front of the piece, but is far more experimental than that famous track, the shift again arriving at almost exactly the midway mark.  What started as rock ends as post-rock, an altogether pleasing arc.

“Windmill” is perhaps the album’s finest track, punchy and swift despite its six and a half minute length.  With a consistent tempo but changing beats, it’s primed to set outdoor dance floors on fire.  The track also invites the listener to focus on each of the players at different times and to admire their interplay.  The multiple transitions change on a dime, and the single shout tells us that these performers are having fun as well.  By the time the album reaches “Home” and takes a final, quiet turn, one feels as if one has shed one’s clothes and arrived at summer, ready to wax the board and surf that mighty break in the sky.  (Richard Allen)