Nouvelle Vague is back with a new album after the death of co-founder
Published: Wednesday, Feb 14th 2024, 11:10
Volver a Live Feed
Following the death of co-founder Olivier Libaux, the French band Nouvelle Vague is back. They are celebrating their 20th anniversary with their new album "Should I Stay Or Should I Go" full of atmospheric cover versions.
"People Are People" by Depeche Mode, "This Charming Man" by The Smiths and "Rebel Yell" by Billy Idol: cult songs by legendary new wave musicians that the cover specialists from Nouvelle Vague have decelerated in their tried and tested way. With "Should I Stay Or Should I Go", the French band celebrates its 20th anniversary - with more pop and without its co-founder and guitarist Olivier Libaux.
Since 2004, Nouvelle Vague has been covering flagship titles by new wave groups and adding bossa nova, easy listening and pop style elements with alternating female voices. With the concept that Olivier Libaux and Marc Collin brought to life, the two musicians and producers have enjoyed great success worldwide.
Libaux died in September 2021 at the age of 57. Collin no longer expected to produce a new album after that. Until he met the singer Alonya at a party and invited her to his studio. It was there that a new version of "Should I Stay Or Should I Go" by British punk rock group The Clash was created, which also gives the new album its title.
Decelerated in a tried and tested way
There are 13 songs on the long-player, which have been reinterpreted and shifted down a gear with atmospheric sound characters. Compared to their previous albums, this time Nouvelle Vague have drawn more from the pop arrangement pool.
Nouvelle Vague gave a foretaste of their new album with the cover version of "Only You" by British group Yazoo, which was uploaded to the internet in November. The version is sung by Mélanie Pain, whose soft voice lends the 40-year-old hit a haunting chill-out character.
The cover specialists also put the hit "Girls on film" by Duran Duran through the wringer, which is given more tone by Alonya's powerful pop-soul voice. The Blondie hit "Rapture" sung by Élodie Frégé, on the other hand, has more echoes of film noir music and only has something to do with the pop-rock original in places. The French already successfully recycled "Heart of Glass" from Blondie in 2006 for their album "Bande à part".
Pain has been with Nouvelle Vague since the group was founded and made her breakthrough as a solo vocalist thanks to the group. Other now well-known names have contributed to the cover versions, such as Sir Alice, Marina Celeste, Élodie Frégé and Vanessa Paradis.
Sensual arrangements
With their mostly cool and sensual arrangements, Nouvelle Vague has defused numerous original versions of hard-hitting new wave and punk songs in recent years. In part, the French also contributed to their renewed popularization.
Some of their reinterpretations even became songs in their own right, such as "Eisbär" by the Swiss band Grauzone or the jazzed-up version of "Human Fly" by The Cramps with Frégé's oversexed voice. A potential that songs from their new album could also have, such as "Girls on film" or "What I Like Most About You Is Your Girlfriend" by The Specials.
©Keystone/SDA
Spanish 
English 
German 
French 
Arabic