We left Rendez-Vous in January 2020 after a tour of over 120 dates around the world and a Cigale on the verge of implosion in Paris, and now we find RDV with "Downcast," their new album. The highly effective post-punk anthems have given way to tracks with barely contained rage ("Sheer," "Dye and Retry"); at the same time, RDV slows down the tempo on a good portion of their new songs, creating a new atmosphere that we hadn't known before. Another major change to note in RDV's sound is a step forward into the reference decade: abandoning their synthetic trappings, the band releases a record that carries the influence of Frank Black, the Smashing Pumpkins, shoegaze, and grunge. However, don't see this as any hint of nostalgia: "Downcast" is a pure product of its time, laying the groundwork for the years to come. Even though guitars have replaced synthesizers, the album is sprinkled with glitches and digital distortions, and the band surrounds itself with nightmarish visuals that extend the emotional disturbance conveyed by their music.