Phew. Firstly, let’s get the unwieldy album name out of the way. It appears to be taken from the title of a work of “folk art”: a throne created in metallic foils by American James Hampton between 1950 and 1964. It is not clear how – if at all – this relates to Le Loup’s album. Although I certainly came away with the impression that an overarching “concept” was in place, I was frustratingly unable to work out what that concept might, in fact, be.

This was not, I’m afraid, an album that I found much to enjoy in. The mix of ethereal wispy vocals, synthesized sound effects and lots (and I mean lots) of banjo was not one that sustained my interest for long. The similarity of mood and feel throughout the album made it difficult to distinguish one track from another. Unusually, it seemed to me that the longer I listened, the less substance was revealed, and the less sense I was able to make of it all.

Nature is an obvious theme running through the record, from the repeated use of rain, thunder, bird and wind noises; “Storm”, for example, is less a song and more of an extended sound-effect. There appears to be some kind of apocalyptic event going on too (although this isn’t really reflected by any corresponding dramatic mood to the music) – suggested by lyrics such as “Bruised with orange light / This could be the end of the world” (from “Outside Of This Car, the End Of the World!”) and “The storm passed overhead / Scratched our world to shreds” (“We Are Gods! We Are Wolves!”). If so, this has to be the blandest, calmest, least angst-ridden apocalypse ever envisioned.

Track after track starts with a very similar plucking banjo intro (“Canto I”, “Breathing Rapture”, Le Loup (Fear Not)”, “Canto Xxxiv”, “I Had a Dream I Died”…) which becomes a little like water torture due to overuse and repetition. At times the closest parallel I could think of – vocally at least – was, of all things, Clannad (!); at other times I thought to myself “chill-out music”.

You will have realized by now that Le Loup were most certainly not this reviewer’s cup of tea. They may be yours though! They are certainly musically gifted, adept at creating a mood (albeit one all-pervading mood) and different from much other music that I have listened to this year. For this they certainly deserve credit, but I just personally wouldn’t feel any impulse to listen to them ever again…
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Links
Le Loup [official site] [myspace]