Charlotte Gainsbourg: 5:55 (2007)-Michael Tenzer
Charlotte Gainsbourg: 5:55
By Michael Tenzer
If you happened to be the daughter of the most influential singer-songwriter and composer in French pop music history, you’d have a lot to live up to as well. Lucky for us Charlotte Gainbourg exceeds her father, Serge Gainsbourg, with a decidedly diminutive grace. Being the whisp-voiced kin of papa Serge, Charlotte could certainly be seen as a French Julian Lennon, where the shadow of their parents may forever loom over any projects they may endeavor to work on. If this is the case, it is very much a shame, because Charlotte has a mouse-like charm and a delicate, understated singing voice, traits which belie her star-studded family’s brazen reputation.
5:55 is her second proper record, an album that sighs lethargic discontent with music that is both nocturnal and punctuated. Collaboration seemed to be the order of the day on 5:55. The music is composed by the French electronic duo, Air, and the lyrics are penned by none other then former Pulp frontman, Jarvis Cocker and the Divine Comedy’s Neil Hannon. This pool of talent served to make 5:55 an outstanding effort from every conceivable angle. The words of Cocker and Hannon tend to have an even greater sardonic quality when Gainsbourg sings them in her yielding, rocking chair whisper. “You think you know me, that’s your trouble/Never fall in love with a body double, jamais/ I stick with the script and I go with the plan/ And frankly my dear I never gave a damn, jamais” sings Gainsbourg on “Jamais” a delicious tongue-in-cheek prodding of the decadent whims of Hollywood, while a chiding piano figure does cart wheels over the words.
The album isn’t all a satirical romp, however. Songs like “Beauty Mark” and “Morning Song” outline a very intimate and reflective tone that is matched by the measured rise and fall of acoustic guitar plucks. Sleeplessness also finds itself at home on 5:55. The album opens to the title track, where Charlotte sings of getting “no sleep tonight” as an undulating piano dominates over thin drum punches.
5:55 is an enthralling mixture of nighttime leisure and pithy observation, where the music itself more then matches the lyrics. Hypnotic piano figures, sparse synthesizer touches and succinct, paper drums pull 5:55 into a delicate balance of dreams, humor and contemplation. It will no doubt be largely forgotten as the subcultures to normally embrace such an effort will likely find it relevant to their tastes for the millisecond it takes for such individual’s apathy to set in. That is the true shame of it all, as 5:55 is an album that asks to be embraced and held close during an evening of sleepless reflection.
Copyright C. 2008 Michael Tenzer
February 12th, 2008 at 9:34 am
Michael, It’s exciting to see you in print and to know your doing many interesting adventures. Although I’m not familier with this artist your writing is exciting and richly descriptive. Hope to see you on your next visit.
April 11th, 2008 at 11:00 am
Great review!
I utterly adore her…I thank heaven I found her. The first time I saw her, it was on a French show called “Vivement Dimanche”. She sang “The songs that we sing”.
I instantly fell in love with her persona(rather gloomy, yet gorgeous). Thanx to her I´ve come across with a couple of musicians that have changed my life and perspective, her parents. After her I met Jane(The Arebesque album), which I really loved from the beginning. There was something in those lyrics that caught my entire attention. I found out that the creator of them was Serge Gainsbourg!!!
The Gainsbourg trio have become part of my musical life ever since.
This album is amazing and reminds me of Melody Nelson. Charlotte whispering those lyrics is like a religious experience. My favourite tracks: Everything that I cannot see, Jamais, The operation, The songs that we sing, Tel que tu es and Beauty Mark. I wish she had sung more in French…because it is quite a beautiful language.