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Pulcinella: Bestiole
ByPulcinella's combination of straightforward and engaging melodies, infectious rhythms and joyous performance shines through on tunes such as the snappily-titled "Garez Vous Chez Vous Dans l'allée Vous Emmerdez Tout le Monde"a manic slice of Gallic swing. Flying insects feature on two more energetic tunesthe stop/start jaggedness of "Raksi Chaparak (la Danse du Papillon)"; with Doumerc's flute evoking the darting dance of the butterfly; and the insistent flight of "Le Moustique Ambitieux."
There's a sweeter and more reflective side to the Pulcinella songbook. With its repetitive hook, gentle melody and warm, comforting, mix of mandolin (from guest musician Patrick Vaillant, trombone (courtesy of another guest, Daniel Casimir), glockenspiel and metallophone, "Envoûtement" sounds as if it was made for an ambitious musical box. "Sur le Pavé la Lune," written by Vaillant, has a similar sound but its eerie atmosphere is unsettlingly dramatic. "Morphée" features Jean-Marc Serpin's bass on its opening chorus, the stately melody at first encouraging the sleep suggested by the title before moving into a dreamlike, possibly nightmarish, scenario. The flowing 6/8 meter of "Christiania" gives the tune a graceful feel, at once lovely and rather sad.
Across the eleven tunes on Bestiole Pulcinella reveals itself to be a band with the power to move its listenersto happy abandon and to quiet reflection. Neither is easy, to do both so well is a testament to Pulcinella's talents.
Track Listing
Garez Vous Chez Vous Dans l'allée Vous Emmerdez Tout le Monde; Ni Vu Ni Connu; Christiania; Sur le Pavé la Lune; Morphée; Raksi Chaparak (la Danse du Papillon); Le Moustique Ambitieux; Tu Parles Trop; Nager; La Tarantelle; Envoûtement.
Personnel
Ferdinand Doumerc: saxophones, flute (6), metallophone (7); Florian Demonsant: accordion, kaval (6, 11); Jean-Marc Serpin: bass, metallophone (11); Frédéric Cavallin: drums, metallophone (5), glockenspiel (10, 11); Patrick Vaillant: mandolin (4, 8, 11); Daniel Casimir: trombone (4, 8, 11).
Album information
Title: Bestiole | Year Released: 2014 | Record Label: Enja Records