Soft hearted Florent

One of my best friends just released a record called “Between love and hate”.
And when I say best friend (not the facebook ones) I really mean it we know each other for like 6 years and I’m twenty.
It counts no shit.
I always knew that someday I’ll write about him, on this silly blog or in some notebook I have.
And believe me it’s hard, have you noticed how easily we write thousands empty words per day: course notes, work stuff, memos, grocery list... life is unfair.

Now enough talk about my lame ass impressions.

He released a short indie pop record entirely made by him and some friends
The first time I’ve listened to this album, I was thinking yes, again a piece of fine music.
I liked the melodies, the warm voice, the clever ideas pigmenting the thing, the artisan recording, the classical indie sound production, but…
There was something wrong.
It was a damn hippie thing, full of fucking sweetness, fucking joy, fucking sun, fucking love, fucking bees, fucking peace…and there’s a rainbow drown on it.
But I realised I was certainly to prompt to judge, the funny thing is that self assured people don’t judge people.

I need some nuance, some contrast; yes it’s the key of this album, nuance to listen each one and every detail punctuating this effort.

The first track is a classic slow rock and old fashioned motion, you run in a black and white movie.
We’re running after a teenage love a first crush, a glimpse that can leave anytime and never come back.
You’re running after that during the all song, the drums kicks hard like your heart beating on those moments of doubt and hope.
And you can’t stop, if you do, you die, that’s one of the things life is about.

The second tune, “A Story” is a slow and melancholic song, crying on the things that usually leave, like great ideas, meetings and great speeches and the loner sings disabused, describing a lost heaven watching the fire burn.

The third one is a more jazzy song, led by a voluptuous and lazy ride cymbal and a repeating acid guitar part; the modified responding voices create a kaleidoscopic impression directly inspired by the Beatles (“Strawberry Fields” and “Yellow Submarine”).

“Flower” is a totally minimalist, early Velvet inspired song, are you high listening to some music or just dreaming in your bed, and to sleepy to wake up?

The song “For all the World” mixes a hard beat and an aerial melody, which sometimes gets all wild and nervous, like anger again yourself and a sudden relief, like if everything was possible again, like a shiny rebirth, the promises of sunrises.

The sixth and last one, the final explanation of the album, like floating in time and space wondering about the thin line existing between love and hate, two things for what men live and die for, and finally what if this line was someone we knew?

Love love, love like four brits said long time ago.

After all his guy is not a hippie, he’s a romantic, and not the silliest one.