Where do you even start with an album like this?
It’s been a while since it’s been released, so I definitely had time to immerse myself into it properly as well as getting the leverage of seeing how it aged, even if over a short period of time in terms of timespan when talking about albums.
Rïcïnn’s latest record, Nereïd was one of my absolute favorites of last year, without any kind of contest in its respective niche. Laure LePrunenec’s compositions are simply at a new level when taking into account how her debut, Lïan looks like in contrast.
After many spins of the record, I realized that I think that this is how I wish classical music would actually be like in the 21st century. Something that sheds its rigidities and embraces many disparate musical corners, approaching composition with an open mind, willing to bend in eccentric ways in order to convey whatever is on the tip of its heart’s tongue.
Even though that reality is decades, if not centuries away as I envision it, it is basically the present in the musical world of Rïcïnn. Laure LePrunenec channels a surreal, heart wrenching, thespian, and visceral smorgasbord of emotional hues through the compositions present on Nereïd with a poignant and unnervingly compelling energy.
Stylistically, we see classical, electronic, experimental, baroque, operatic and metallic ends coming together as one homogeneous whole, which takes its strength from knowing what it wants and what it is deep inside.
It is impressive to see such a dynamic and creative approach when it comes to bridging disparate entities. What’s even more impressive is how they all sound like they were meant to sit like this, as if the musical discourse emerging over the course of Nereïd was never intended to be any other way and this is how it existed even before it being quantified, in order for us to experience it.
Not two songs are alike on this album, even though they all ultimately share common points throughout. Each track’s distinctive flavor feels like a chapter in this story which is told, or another place we relish in, engaging with this musical journey.
For those of you who listened to Igorrr, Corpo Mente, and Öxxö Xööx, you can definitely see some common points in terms of moods and musical particularities, since Laure LePrunenec performed and/or performs in all three of the bands, as well as having Laurent Lunoir (of Öxxö Xööx) on guitars in Rïcïnn.
The instrumental side of things is one dimension, while Laure LePrunenec’s vocal performance is a whole other affair. It’s what really makes the whole album flare and scintillate like fire in the sky. It’s something truly awe inspiring to hear and it is simply beyond words how hard hitting it is.
Some have compared her performance to that of Chelsea Wolfe, Björk, Diamanda Galas, and Lisa Gerrard. I can’t really see the former making sense, unless we’re talking maybe in terms of image or persona, I guess. I can however, definitely see the latter being a match as much as in terms of energy and performance as in style too.
One of my favorite things about the vocal performance is how the words behind the lines are part of the band’s made-up language. While I normally like to be spoon-fed a story or a concept, I like how it leaves such an open, or rather blank slate for interpretation. I think it makes a lot of sense considering the immensity and power of the vocal performance. I can make out some words at times which are intelligible in English, but not much else.
While I love the record as a whole and I can see how it flows neatly from one song to the next, I can’t really imagine it any other way than as a single megalithic piece. However, there are some parts that to me, shine brighter than the rest, or rather, hit home more than others. First off, “Doris” for its fire and brimstone demeanor, “Artäe” for its otherworldly charm, and “Söre” for its tender and nigh threnodic vocal line which strikes me every time.
If you’re looking to have your mind blown, or planned on looking into this record but haven’t, I suggest you fix that as soon as possible and dive right in, you will not be disappointed.
