En avant doute

For their third album, Lazuli went out of their way to produce not only their best opus yet but also a feature-packed bonus DVD. Call it intelligent alternative rock or prog rock (after all, this is on Musea), Lazuli's music is strikingly original yet surprisingly accessible. Its originality comes from the group's unusual instrumentation, which includes a lot of mallet percussion, touch guitars (both Warr guitar and Chapman stick), and the Léode, a one-of-a-kind instrument designed by Claude Leonetti after he lost the use of his left arm in a motorcycle accident. The Léode is a touch-sensitive surface shaped like a guitar neck and plugged into a sequencer. It is played like a guitar fretboard and sounds somewhere between a lapsteel and a singing saw (although Leonetti also uses it like a keyboard). Leonetti has eschewed the "shtick" factor and developed a captivating level of musicianship and versatility on this instrument. This original instrumentation is supported by extremely efficient songwriting. Each song bears a yearning melody, soaring developments, and intelligent lyrics. Dominique Leonetti, a high-pitched singer with a range similar to Geddy Lee (without the latter's aggressive tone), sings in French, but the booklet includes a short English synopsis for each song. Highlights include the anti-Bush "Le Repas de l'Ogre" (The Ogre's Meal), the Peter Gabriel-esque "L'Arbre," and a striking cover of Ange's "Capitaine Coeur de Miel." Fans of prog rockers with a modern edge, like O.S.I. or Hogarth-era Marillion, should definitely pay attention. Again, En Avant Doute is not overtly prog; it is instead more of a song-oriented rock album with prog rock, world music (lots of percussion), and modern/electro leanings. ~ François Couture, Rovi