Sir Alice

This is the second full-length release from French artist Sir Alice, aka Alice Daquet, who is supported by producer Marc Collin (Nouvelle Vague, Volga Select, Avril). Sir Alice comfortably straddles the terrain between serious art, punk-y noise and technological exploration; she could be destined to take the cyber-punk throne from Miss Kittin, Ellen Alien and fellow Sir Alice collaborators Chicks on Speed, if it weren’t for her almost complete rejection of the electro genre. Instead, she dives deep into the murky, schizophrenic underworld of disturbing no-wave; at times difficult to listen to, sometimes impenetrable, Daquet’s voice cuts through the mix like a razor. The music is very experimental and although there are a few songs that could cut it on a more adventurous dance floor, this is more of a listening album that comes across as sonic poetry rather than pop music. Most of the vocals are in French, and although I only understand bits and pieces of the language, the ebb and flow of Daquet’s tongue from soft lullaby to atonal, raging screams has a universal appeal that transcends the words she is singing. On the downside, there is an undercurrent of self-indulgence that could stand to be constrained in the editing room; Daquet’s vocals are often too hot in the mix and simply too much at times. This is an interesting album by a young artist full of promise; she just needs to learn a little about control and constraint in order to perfect her craft.