WORLD
BY DAVID HUTCHEON
Benjamin Biolay
★★★★
Saint-Clair
BLUE WRASSE/POLYDOR. CD/DL/LP
Ten albums and 21 years in, the Frenchman surprises with a tribute to childhood holidays in Occitania.
Grand Prix, Biolay’s 2020 album, evoked surprising comparisons between being a motor-racing driver and the solitary life of lockdown; a blend of guitars and electronics, it was crowned album of the year in France. Once able to tour it, he and his band created this sequel in downtime between gigs; this perhaps explains why it’s not the huge stylistic leap fans have come to expect, even if there was a conscious decision to go easy on the computers (to avoid “laziness”). Indie disco with guitars, then, in a Gallic style and even (on Forever) a deliberate nod to New Order bass lines. French reviewers were clearly primed to mention The Strokes (both acts released debut albums in 2001, though Biolay’s prolific output leaves the Americans in the shade); but it’s 2022, so “Arctic Monkeys talking dirty” may make more sense.