Artist: AaRON
Label: Discograph
Release: 2007
Rating: 3.3/5
AaRON is a duo from France featuring two multi-instrumentalists. Simon Buret is also the singer and songwriter. When I got this album, I didn’t really know what to expect, but I’ve had good experiences with multi-instrumentalists. I’d been told it’s some kind of alternative and experimental pop, but that can mean a whole lot of things. The first time I spun the CD, I wasn’t exactly surprised – it was pretty much what I’d expected.
The vocals play more or less the lead role in the music, usually backed by piano and the occasional guitar. If I was expecting these two guys, who play a whole pile of instruments, to be seriously skilled on all of them, I was dead wrong. Maybe they’re even formally trained, but you can’t tell from the songs, since on piano, guitar, violin and harmonica they play only the most basic stuff. Not exactly in the same league as the best multi-instrumentalists.
But then, the point of their music is probably a bit different. Mostly they’re trying to conjure up a sad atmosphere. Unfortunately, all they manage is to make the music come off too melodramatic. I like dark music myself, but this doesn’t offer any catharsis, just depression. The lyrics, which are in English (except for one track), are decent enough, but Buret tries to be too deep and it all backfires – it sounds pretty silly and artificial. On top of those faux-deep lyrics, Buret also tries his hand at playing the comedian (Mister K.), and that falls pretty flat too. Even when he sings about the death of his goldfish, he has to do it in that mournful voice of his. I usually find that kind of contrast interesting, but with him it comes across as somehow fake, like he’s trying too hard. Credit where it’s due, though: the singer’s pronunciation is great, and you can hardly hear any French accent.
Plenty of people from the MTV generation would see the main virtue of AaRON’s music in the fact that they sound quite a bit like Coldplay. The voice in particular (and its limited range) is similar to Chris Martin’s. AaRON mostly differ from them only in being more experimental, especially since they use a lot of samples and drum and bass. Otherwise, you could also find some similarities with Keane. That’s not exactly a recommendation in my book, but in Slovenia there are surely a few fans of these two English bands.
So I don’t just trash this album, let me say something nice too. There are quite a few catchy, melodic parts, though sadly even those are too similar to each other. Every song is cut from the same “sad” cloth. These are pop songs that do have some artistic value, and only “Lost Highway” is perhaps a bit more ambitious. Still, the music does come from the heart and isn’t of artificial origin like so many MTV exports. You have to give them that they play music that’s honest. It’s just that their style isn’t really my thing. My favorite bits are where the violin joins in, and the one part with the mellotron sample (Lost Highway). What bugs me most is the constant use of drum and bass, or rather programmed drums.
The French duo undoubtedly has a lot of potential for commercial success. Maybe that’s exactly what bothers me most about them. You can feel a craving for commercial success. Even so, the music is still sincere enough that I’d recommend them mainly to fans of bands like Coldplay and Keane, but if you’re looking for something original, look elsewhere.
Lineup
Simon Buret – vocals, piano, violin, harmonica
Olivier Coursier – guitar, piano, programming, drums
Production
AaRON
Tracklist
1. Endless Song 4:17
2. U-Turn (Lili) 3:50
3. O-Song 3:41
4. Mister K. 2:57
5. Blow 3:14
6. Beautiful Scar 2:52
7. Strange Fruit 2:52
8. Angel Dust 3:37
9. War Flag 3:25
10. Lost Highway 6:15
11. Le Tunnel d’Or 3:39
12. Little Love 3:35
13. Last Night Throughts 2:52
14. U-Turn (Lili) (Video)
