When thinking of an album to choose, I wanted something that I was ultimately familiar with. I ended up going with David Lemaitre’s debut, and so far, only LP. I had a few other choices in mind, but wanted to chose the one that most reminded me of fall.
Born in La Paz, Lemaitre moved to Berlin to pursue a music career with a grant from the German government as part of Germany’s “Initiative Musik” program. He was part of the rock band “Schulze Meier Lehmann” (of which I have not been able to find much footage) until breaking off in 2008. Since then, his Latitude LP has been his only major release.
I like this album for several reasons. For one, it has variety. If genres mean anything to you, Latitude is predominately folk/pop. However, there’s something for nearly everyone here; if you don’t like a song, just wait for the next one. Whether you crave the gentle musings of Bon Iver, the upbeat energy of Kishi Bashi, or the hypnotic shouting similar to that of Panda Bear (see: “The Incredible Airplane Party”), Latitude has a lot to offer. I’ve always thought David Lemaitre “bites of just as much as he can chew,” so to speak. David Lemaitre’s ability to craft unique and sonic environments and atmospheres really pulled me into his music.
All in all, I think Lemaitre is one of the best musicians in the German music scene right now, and is overdue for some exposure in the states. Have fun with this album. Relax, and enjoy the fall weather. I’m sure there’s a lot to dislike here, so don’t hold back on criticisms.
Spotify Link
This was an interesting choice, Parker. The variation in styles, as you noted in your writeup, really kept me on my toes. I really liked quite a few of the songs, while for me, some fell flat - but I think that there is definitely something for everyone here. While this melange of styles led to an album that did not feel cohesive, it didn't really matter in this case. It's a good listen with some really excellent songs.
ReplyDeleteThe beginning of the album, I thought, would be a portent of bad things to come. I do not like Megalomania - it's like a very poppy Bon Iver song. Just not a fan. But, Spirals is a pretty song and for me, serves as the introduction to the album - when I listen to this album in the future, which I think I will, I'll probably skip Megalomania.
The songs with the Iver falsetto (Megalomania, Magnolia, etc) were in general my least favorite. But there were some really beautiful, well done songs in here. Olivia is a gorgeous tune. Doctor's Wife sounds like Grizzly Bear and the violin arrangements are superb. River Man is an excellent, faithful cover of an already awesome song, but I like that Lemaire through it in to the end of the album - why not? He did a good job.
Very catchy pick. I feel like every song is strong enough to stand on its own. Very distinct melodies and often varied pop styles made it so that I never felt like I was fading out for very long.
ReplyDeleteLyrically nothing really grabbed me, which isn't a big issue. Lyrical content is more just a contributing factor that brings an album from great to beloved for me personally. On this album in particular I don't feel like much is lost by not having profound lyrics since Lamaitre's voice is freaking gorgeous. This might be best demonstrated on Jacques Cousteau. Also, while i'm still on about the lyrics, The Incredible Airplane party is much weirder than the melody lets on. I admittedly didn't catch everything, but drunk parents and mid-party blowjobs are not what i expected.
I think the songs I liked best are the more energetic ones. There are a lot of engaging tunes, but songs like Magnolia and Six Years just make me want to skip to the more entertaining stuff, despite being decent on their own.
I wish I had more to say because I honestly liked this one a lot. It felt very unique, I think if I were to compare Latitude to another artist I would say it's like Jose Gonzales but with more orchestration. I'll definitely come back to this at some point.
I gotta say first, this might be my favorite record so far introduced to me through our blog. I truly enjoyed listening to this and found myself coming back to specific tracks through out the week so great job Parker!
ReplyDeleteThe album itself is very diverse, there’s nice variety in the instrumentation, vocals, lyrics, and the overall vibe of the tracks. The variation does not detract from the album’s flow at all though, you still get folky guitar chords and mellow vocals with each track. Jacques Cousteau is my favorite track overall, I love the simple repeated guitar riff and the build up of other instruments as the song goes on. His vocals on this track are so smooth as well - I wish I could describe his voice better but its like velvet and whatever effect (is it an echoing thing?) he adds works really well on the album.
Magnolia and Oliva are my favorite slower songs. To be honest Magnolia made me tear up a bit, the piano and his chilling voice are so beautiful. Olivia is a nice, stripped down folk song. I like the variation in his vocals in this one folky but still stable and showcases his talent. I think my only downfall with the record is how out of place The Doctor’s Wife sounds. It’s a good and fun track but I just didn’t get it on this record I guess.
All in all, I have this album saved on spotty and I will definitely be coming back, especially for the upcoming colder months. (also nice typo in the title there :p)
This is an interesting album. Let’s get that out of the way. Parker and everyone else has mentioned it and I will follow suit ; There is a lot of variety here. Some songs are straight forward folk or folk-pop while others have a bit more going on. I honestly am torn on this characteristic of the album. I enjoy artists trying different things on an album, but here it almost feels like a collection of singles instead of a cohesive album. Instead of feeling creative and expansive, it’s more unfocused.
ReplyDeleteI did enjoy a lot of this album. Olivia, Pandora Express, Jacques Cousteau, Six Years, Valediction, and River Man were all tunes I liked a lot. To me these were the consistent songs that fit together well. I almost wish these 6 were released together without the other tracks. I think I would have enjoyed that much more.
Now about the other songs. Megalomania to me felt almost like an MGMT rip off. I have no logical reason, but the song Spirals annoyed me. I don’t know why, I think the melody of the chorus just irked my ear. Sam mentioned it as well, but Magnolia feels like a song Justin Vernon left off one of his records. Finally, like Spirals, I don’t really know what makes me not like The Doctor’s Wife. It feels almost too cutesy with its melody. To go along with this, other than the song Olivia, not much caught my ear lyrically.
I know this all seems very negative. But I enjoyed more of this album than I didn’t. I’m just having trouble verbalizing my positive feelings. He tried to create a varied experience and should be commended for that. It is a bold move to have such a different vibe from song to song. I very much liked his more straight forward stuff because I feel like that is where his strength lies. Overall, it is a good experience and I will listen to some of the songs again for sure.