Search - Julien Dore :: Ersatz

Staggeringly Good : Possibly the Best French Album of 2008

Cabir Davis | 10/08/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Its ironic that in a country that has embraced the "Reality Star" concept even more than America (France has multiple music reality shows - an infinite number of them, even), true talent does manage to emerge from the carnage every now and then. That is especially true for Julien Dore, at first glance easily dismissed as the sort of human being more suited to adorn high fashion advertisements in Vogue Homme. He first shot to fame in France a few years ago with his cover of the ultra-feminine song "Moi Lolita" (which, trust me, ONLY a woman should be singing) - and broke stereotypes and musical convention when he went on to win the French music reality show, even though he was the underdog.



Cut to 2008, and "Ersatz" again breaks new ground - this is Dore's first solo album, but Western Audiences would be well served to familiarize themselves with the mastery of substance here - this is not regular pop/rock a la Kelly Clarkson or Carrie Underwood. Even the very comparison is obnoxious. I would rate Dore amongst the very great masters of acoustic folk-rock - think of this as Chris Martin meets Jose Gonzalez - filtered through a Radiohead prism. That can only be a good thing. Of course, this being a debut record, its not surprising to see some 'poppy elements' in place, especially on lead single "Les Limites" (a massive hit in its' native nation).



The weird song titles actually work on this one - "Pudding Morphina" is a spectacular combination of sonic elements that WORK, and the soulful "Dans Tes Reves" will hook you for reasons unknown. What I found really gripping were the lyrics. If you can speak any French at all, I implore you to get this and discover a true poet (I believe his words are second only to Benjamin Biolay, which of course is a huge compliment to Dore). In fact, the Biolay comparisons are very valid. Benjamin's "Rose Kennedy" (one of the greatest albums of all time, in my opinion) seems to have directly influenced many of the sounds on this CD.



Finally, its truly amazing that so many 'reality star' winners from the French TV Scene are actually releasing groundbreaking music. I'm torn between this one and Gaetane Abrial's mindblowing 2008 album "Cheyenne Song" for album of the year. The latter is a French Country Album (of all things, its mixes elements of Loretta Lynn, Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt) by a very young Frenchwoman, and I highly recommend it as well. But if you have to buy one French CD this year, make it this one.



Also highly recommended if you like this:



Vanessa Paradis : "Divinidylle Tour"

Mylene Farmer " Point de Suture"

Ben Ricour : "L'Aventure"

Charlotte Gainsbourg : "5:55""