Le peuple des songes

The result of a collaboration between actor/poet Christian Brendel and the group Zomb (related to La Zombie et Ses Bisons), Le Peuple des Songes is one mean slab of progressive rock. Zomb's music draws equal parts from late-period King Crimson, Deep Purple-esque hard rock, the hypnotic pulse of Magma, and the jazz-rock leanings of Maneige — the latter mostly due to the presence of a near full-time vibraphone player (Thierry Collin) and a flutist (Christine Maffeïs) in the band, in addition to a guitarist, a bassist, and a drummer. Brendel is not singing but reciting his poems, in a low, ominous register. His lyrics (about love, the passage of time, and the afterlife) show strong wordsmithing skills and are perfectly adapted to the group's music. Brendel is using word repetitions as if to form melodies (remember, he is not singing a single note here). These repetitions are not song-like nor poem-like, but beat-like, fitted to the song's rhythm. They are recited (and printed) in French only, but his measured delivery (this is nothing like Ange's Christian Décamps' over the top soliloquies) should keep them palatable to French-deaf ears. Le Peuple des Songes is a long album (70 minutes) consisting of long songs. Things develop slowly and are built over time to reach maximum climax effects, yet each track packs a few surprises, changes in direction, and sudden twists. In that regard, the highlights are the epic "Odyssées" (with a larger-than-life King Crimson-like riff) and the mellower, vibes-driven "De l'Autre Côté." This is one of the most original prog rock albums to come out of France in a long time, and definitely something to get excited about. Fans of "outside the box" prog would do well to lend an ear. ~ François Couture, Rovi