There can't be many artists who prepared to cite Gilbert O'Sullivan as an influence but French singer-songwriter Mehdi Zannad is one. Before alarm bells get too deafening the artist adds cooler inspirations like Stereolab and the Beach Boys.
Mehdi Zannad previously released music under the band name Fugu (although he was the band's only member). Fugue is a musical term for contrapunctal vocal structure but the title here is used as the French word for 'break away' to signify that he intends to make a fresh start under his own name.
Most of his previous output was sung in English but on this album he made the decision to sing only in French. This linguistic choice followed discussions with co-producer Xavier Boyer wherein "we realised that we could use the French language like the Brazilian you hear in Os Mutantes, or the Welsh in Gorky's Zygotic Mynci; you can hear they're saying interesting and exciting things about their respective cultures without necessarily understanding a word"..
I can easily imagine that using your native tongue has a liberating effect and certainly I, as a non-French speaker, didn't feel disadvantaged listening to this fine album. On the contrary, the freshness and warmth of the songs is communicated highly effectively and in this regard the Gorkys comparison is particularly apt.
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The songs were written in collaboration with filmmaker Serge Bozon and cinematically speaking harks back to those swinging-sixties movies where girls swing around lampposts in flouncy outfits and the sun is always shining. The romance of the French Chanson is also evoked in Zannad's sweet, melodic vocals (his press release calls his voice "airy and mellifluous").
Piano and strings dominate the arrangements which bring out the rich melodies and breezy summery feel. It is short (28 minutes) but sweet and very charming or should I say "tres charmant".
Website of Fugu and Mehdi Zannad Website
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