Stream “Terrible Angels” from Stage Whisper
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There’s a lot working against Charlotte Gainsbourg’s Stage Whisper. Where to start? Charlotte Gainsbourg is (mostly) an actress that is trying to be a musician. Strike one. Charlotte Gainsbourg is the offspring of celebrity (her mom is Jane Birkin, her dad is Serge Gainsbourg). Strike two. And her latest, Stage Whisper, is a collection of B-sides from an album (the brilliant IRM) recorded in 2009. Strike three. But you know what? Stage Whisper is an awesome collection of slightly bent, gently warped pop.
From bombastic techno pop (“Terrible Angels”, “Paradisco”) to slow-drifting atmospherics (“White Telephone”) and catchy little things in between (“All The Rain”, “Got To Let Go”), Gainsbourg covers a notable range in Stage Whisper’s first half. Oh, this is a double-LP. There’s a second disc full of live stuff, but we don’t remember it because we’re stuck on the IRM b-sides. We’re not sure how much of Stage Whisper is Beck’s doing (he was the mastermind behind IRM), but we’re not sure it matters. We like Gainsbourg’s willowy, shy presence and reluctant urgency. Stage Whisper may be a team effort, but it’s Gainsbourg’s charm that gives this album its exceptional magnetism. Standout Tracks: “Terrible Angels”, “Paradisco”, “Out of Touch” |
 4 / 5 |
