As a disclaimer, indie rock group La Femme is a French band, and I am not French. I don’t speak French, so reviewing this album was a tad frustrating for me. I know I’m missing out on the bulk of the substance of this album because I don’t know what any of the lyrics mean, but it’s important to explore the music scene outside of the U.S. so I’ve done my best to judge this album based on the musical elements that can be appreciated from within any borders.
Mystere is La Femme’s sophomore album, following 2013’s Psycho Tropical Berlin. Their most recent album features a smoother, more controlled sound than their debut album. While Psycho Tropical Berlin featured more raw vocals and relied primarily on fast-paced guitar to carry the momentum of the album, Mystere is more psychedelic and each track is focused on completing a musical arc within itself rather than blending into one cohesive album.
La Femme describes themselves as “psychedelic punk”, but their sound is often distinctly surf rock, emulating such American bands as Best Coast and La Luz. The track “Ou va le monde” particularly adopts the upbeat guitar melody that characterizes the surf rock genre. However, La Femme is at its best when it diverges from surf rock into the psychedelic style it identifies itself by. “Al Warda” especially is a melancholy, intriguing track that explores instrumental styles from synth to violin, accompanied by the subdued vocals of lead vocalist Clemence Quelennec.
Mystere is lengthy album at 17 tracks, with some tracks lasting up to 13 minutes. However, the length allows La Femme to fully flesh out the concepts and moods they present on the album. I couldn’t tell you exactly what the message of Mystere is, but after listening to the album in full I know it was well executed and thoroughly enjoyable at any level of understanding.
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