Image credit: Me & My Records
The Blue Violet duo, Sarah McGrigor and Sam Gotley, have cemented themselves as a force to be reckoned with in the indie music space with their second album Faux Animaux. They have really managed to find their sound in this album with more upbeat tempos, faster beats, heavier guitar and synthesisers and, of course, the breathtaking vocals that we came to love in Last Night Calls. With a blend of musical genres and diverse themes, Faux Animaux is a 45-minute journey you don’t want to miss. McGrigor’s voice transforms from airy to powerful and high pitched along with stretches of spoken word, and Gotley’s guitar segments and baritone voice create an impactful contrast rarely heard before, leaving us with a well-rounded series of tracks.
The album opens with ‘Sweet Success’ and you immediately get pulled to the dance floor with this upbeat, futuristic dance tune. Full of catchy lines and guitar solos, this track is a great opener and sure to get everyone dancing. But don’t miss the clever nods towards our capitalistic societal tendencies, with pop culture references we will all recognise, from the classic “eat, sleep, love” posters through to brands and institutions. It really sets the tone for the rest of the album with the use of optimism and emotion to create change and force introspection.
The guitar motifs flow seamlessly through to ‘Imagine Me’ which evokes the vibe of an early 2000s pop hit, but without the undeniably misogynistic lyrics that were so common from boy bands and male artists. Instead, they give us a dialogue between a musician and her stalker, with the mix of synthesised high pitches to show the infantilisation of women in the industry through to powerful vocals from McGrigor showing the anxiety and unease she has felt and the deep baritone of the persistent “stalker”.
Reaching the middle of the album with ‘Survival’, ‘Talking To You’ and ‘The Librarian’, we see more vulnerability from the artists. ‘The Librarian’, Gotley’s favourite track, gives movie soundtrack and road trip feelings, reminiscent of a Florence and the Machine or Lorde album. They all touch on subjects of interactions and relationships between humans, the feeling of isolation mimicked by Kate Bush-style vocal isolation, and the want for change.
Emerging from this, we get ‘Cold Heart’, ‘Boogie Shoes’ and ‘Fire’. Like the changing of seasons from winter to spring, they are optimistic and again go back to that disco-style that inspires people and how we ‘dance for pleasure, dance for pain’ but now can join together and make change. I find these tracks to be the heart of the space Blue Violet are creating and carving out for themselves in the music industry – they are catchy tunes, perfect for having a good time but also delivering the message. The verses of spoken word in ‘Boogie Shoes’ is particularly impactful, having individual voices cutting through the crowd.
The best lyrics in the album belong to ‘Teeth Out’, the most personal to McGrigor. You can sense their anger and passion for social change – they have given us the words throughout the album, expressing how they are feeling and now, it’s time for social action and political change. It’s the most direct song of theirs and is certainly gripping and punchy.
However, the best track on the album has to be ‘Barefoot on the Seine’. This, for me, is a song that is sure to go down as a classic and inspire us all. Discussing their inspiration for this song, Blue Violet said it was the cultivation of everything they were feeling and participating in over the last few years, with the Black Lives Matter movement and the actions of governments in the COVID-19 pandemic. We travel through their hometown of Bristol, as well as Chicago and Monaco, protesting against the injustices of the world. We sense their belief in collective unity and movement through the vision of “the beauty in the faces of the players and virtue in the game”. This is all wrapped up into a powerful song, and, after all, it isn’t hard to see how they were inspired by the streets of Paris to encourage revolution.
The title track gives more of that punk-rock feel and is the real climax to the album. Fast tempo, impressive guitar and instrumental sections with harmonies over the top crescendo nicely and leave an impactful, great end to the album. It’s a real imprint from the band onto the listeners, leaving no room for anything else to be said; listeners are inspired and can carry the movement on. It’s the perfect way to tie up this monumental album.
Overall, Faux Animaux transcends time, using its influences from music through the decades, to create a lasting legacy and result in a generational hit. You feel encouraged to revisit the album time and time again, gaining new experiences and peeling back the layers. If you’re looking for a new release to try – it has to be Faux Animaux.
9/10
