Les yeux de la foule

Description

In their thirties. With flow. Curious about other kinds of music. Refusing rap’s usual folklore. Aware that life is not all black or all white, but rather an infinite shade of gray. Dad rap? Maybe so. But after all, between you and me, it’s still better than pathetic veterans who still want to make people believe they’re sixteen, because they’re afraid of getting old or simply because they have nothing to say. The Nouvel R have plenty to say: about everyday life (“Vie Normale,” “L’Intégré Marginal”), about sweeping generalizations (“Raccourcis”), or about the consumerist voracity of our societies (“Tant de.”). But the group prefers to ask questions, to spark discussion, as they were able to do on their two previous records (with former Moulinex employees, or through the controversial images of the Kourtrajmé collective.). And they always find the right tone and sound to carry this dark album. The beats hit hard and dry, the samples are catchier than before, and the many string-instrument touches soften the whole. Several tracks hit the mark on first listen, including the excellent opening “Vie Normale,” where the chorus by Englishman Dazz-La MC (the stentorian voice of Lotek Hi-Fi on Ninja Tune) stays with you all day.