SAPIENS: Sapiens (ROCK): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

After the gruelling promotional tour of Los Disidentes Del Sucio Motel's "Human Collapse" album, its singer Nico found it wise to go green. But some creations relegated to a drawer deserved to be assembled and to find their own existence. Very quickly, he convinced his friend Tibal to join him in this adventure. But when it came to find the lyrics, another idea emerged: rather than interpreting everything himself, why not ask for a helping hand right and left?

"Sapiens" contains 10 songs for as many performers. The duo went on a hunt for vocals, a rather fruitful hunt since you can meet on this album familiar rock and metal figures: Julien Pras (Mars Red Sky), the inevitable Julien Cassarino (Psykup) or Steve Perreux (Robot Orchestra). At first sight, this polyphony of voice could short-circuit the listener who will not be able to cling to a vocal unit. Yet everyone comes to bring their emotions, unveils their scars and their quest for light. Each voice represents an instant I of a human life. Poun's slightly numb voice at the beginning of "Still Down" finally explodes, like a teenager in crisis who ends up throwing everything away and agrees to grow up. The ultimate track "The Dancing Fire" unveils the end of the road with Reuno's (Lofofofora's) patriarchal voice as if we were looking back with nostalgia on his young and carefree years. However, to avoid being sentimental, Sapiens also knows how to let go as on "C'est Gênant", an amalgam of folk, blues with a slightly crazy text (but sometimes falling into ease) and a few growls. While English is the preferred language, the two previous tracks mentioned are in French.

Determined to follow a melancholic acoustic score ('Palm Prints' is on this subject a black diamond of nostalgia), Sapiens sometimes falls into repetition where some songs resemble the previous ones. However, this feeling is very much in the minority on this record. Acoustic folk does not necessarily mean minimalism and looking at Roy Harper's works would not be too much. Sapiens often ends up surprising us and falling back on his legs. 'Pure Love Ashes' is a rhythmic storm, a sound laboratory, as if our duo had mixed a little folk music from different origins with a lot of brass reinforcement. ' Dissonance' seems to play the purity, whispering in the listener's ear before taking off happily while the violins bring a little charm once again. For that is the moral of the story, melancholy is not a permanent state in which a subject is locked up but a transition to a new beginning.

Sapiens succeeds in his challenge: to invite us on a melancholic and invigorating journey at the same time. The presence of many guests does not prevent the unity of the project, which can be felt at different levels. Music allows us to find the missing link between all these voices emanating from limbo and which eventually form our Homo Sapiens. However, we may regret the absence of female voices, but perhaps in Nicolas' brain the idea of a "Sapiens 2" trots out... - Official website

SAPIENS

SAPIENS

KLONOSPHERE

ROCK