Au Revoir Simone: Still Night, Still Light

The trio of females known as Au Revoir Simone have always dabbled in the fantastical but so far, they've never truly delivered one completely memorable album (though this is only their third attempt) and so it's with much hope and questionable enthusiasm that we delve into their newest attempt; Still Night, Still Light.

Tell Me works with just a simple one, one, two percussion rhythm and some pretty beeping. It may sound uninspired when written like that, but the melodic vocals and enjoyable pace make for a breezy and organic atmosphere that isn't trying to impress or amaze (and it is this quaintness that impresses most).

There's nothing complicated about the record whatsoever but its genius doesn't lay in its complexity; instead its displayed in how effectively the band utilise their many simplistic elements. There's no guitar or strings to speak of so there's no wonderfully over-blown solo's to convolute everything; most of the time it's just all three of the band members playing simultaneous keyboards and synths and layering their respective vocals over one another. Again, written in such a way; it almost sounds like a negative but trust us when we say its minimalism at its best. 

Knight Of The Wands gallops along on jilted electro chords sounding almost Neo-Translyvanian-esque (vampiric with an electro-twinge if you will) at its chorus break. It's dark and earthy, conjuring ghostly patterns in a tranquil landscape. Successive to that is the fantastically sparse The Last One which starts with a shy, jovial tone but folds slowly into a more poignant affair. Subtle church-organ chords float gently underneath their love-lorn lyrics; "So let me. Let me go. Cos you don't, and you'll never know". Again it's openly simple but wildly effective.

There's a wonderful texture and viscosity to the record that derives from it's tight production and echo-drenched atmosphere. As the album progresses the milky, hazy layers of warmth grow and grow, sometimes inviting the listener into it's wondrous glow but also possessing a darker side that creeps in on a few tracks.

Shadows follows a sprinting, twinkling melody, held bindingly together by the otherworldly vocals of the angelic threesome. "I'm moving on, I hope you're coming with me, cos I'm not strong without you" they breathe harmoniously over the poignant placidity behind. Its hypnotic, modest and enthralling all at once and displays just how far Au Revoir Simone have come.

Whilst the record progresses well on the ARS' previous sound, this isn't to say that it's completely devoid of faults. Their sound has moulded and matured into a deeper, more intelligent beast but it's still extremely narrow in-terms of diversity. The entire forty-seven minute duration is filled with one specific sound and follows it pretty strictly from start to finish. it can't be classed as repetitive but it could've done with exploring just a little more un-touched territory.

Still Night, Still Light is exactly what we wanted to hear from this electronic collective and is a much welcomed progression from their catchy but less cohesive past. It knows exactly when to dip and dive and soar and seduce and it does all four of the aforementioned fantastically well, while glowing innocently in a hazy, ethereal splendour. Let's just say that instead of exceeding expectations, this record took a pistol to said expectations' head and pulled the trigger.