Oslo Tropique - Entre les Mains des Robots

Why listen to Oslo Tropique?

Because you mustn’t trust their name, seen as "a climatic oxymoron". They come from Toulouse and from Chartres, and don’t play salsa or beguine, but rock n’ roll. In French. Not in Norwegian.

Because some sounds, some riffs, almost seem borrowed from heavy-metal ("Nuits Verticales", "Un Pavé dans l'Écran"). This just shows how it’s gonna be loutish. However, don’t expect much ado about nothing in your face. For there is a bit more than this.

Because they’re necessarily influenced by Alain Bashung: "Aucun Terminus" brings to mind "Aucun Express", and the album starts with the words “La nuit je m'en... fuis”.

Because, in this kind of music, the quality of singing is not very significant, energy only counts, explosive in concert, you may think. And yet... Christophe brings out a genuine presence, needed to hold their lyrics, which would go unnoticed otherwise.
His diction makes me think of Paul Personne, of Kent, of the short-lived band Melville... people like that.
Although he’s certainly no big singer – this isn’t the purpose – he holds his place easily, besides his unexpected voice slips in the high-pitched take everyone by surprise.

Because the bass guitar rocks. Because the drums leave you suspended upon the end of the musical sentence... to come and crush better in extremis the beginning of the next one ("Barbara").

Because it speaks of politics obviously (follow the mauve tie of the polemical "Les Chaînes Info"), it speaks of society ("La Jungle"), it speaks of environment ("Les Camions Bennes", in which the narrator puts himself in the place of... varied detritus!) and it speaks of insomnia ("Nuits Verticales", "Non-Stop").

Because in the middle of the First World War a "Barbara" gives love to a French soldier. Who is she? a prostitute? a German? It’s up to you.

Because I also WANT TO SEE GULLS!

Because, after all, no need to wonder why listen to Oslo Tropique; just listen, that’s all.