It was a nice novelty, the 2004 self-titled debut album by the French group Nouvelle Vague. A record full of acoustic Latin adaptations of well-known and obscure new wave songs from the eighties, sung by way of an extra tract by two innocent sighing girls. The group is now on their third album and not only appears to be far from the bottom of the treasury, but they can also afford to bring the
… original artists to the studio. Terry Hall (The Specials), Martin Gore (Depeche Mode) and Ian McCulloch (Echo and the Bunnymen) sing along on this album. The latter in particular has a beautiful, smoky Gainsbourg groan in his duet with Melanie Pain. He strips his own song All My Colors of all the original bombast. Magazine bassist Barry Adamson in turn, with his gothic baritone voice, gives a heavy twist to the Magazine classic Parade. Too bad the original singer Howard Devoto wasn't there. This is how you initially zap through the CD, curious about what the group did with the songs. Then the plate can be used again in its entirety and the rosé can be uncorked. The eighties never sounded so light-hearted and sultry as with Nouvelle Vague. (MR)more
