Yelle was introduced to me as the French response to M.I.A.. Upon hearing the entirety of her debut album, Pop Up, I’m seeing traces of something much more dance-oriented, shedding the raw intensity and hook heaviness that signify M.I.A.’s musical identity. As for the artist in question, Yelle grew in fame quickly, due to blog attention and Myspace Music views. Last summer, she rolled out her debut, which bounces between happy-go-lucky, electropop ditties and hard-hitting club beats. Now to the tracks. Near the opening of the album, “A Cause Des Garçons” offers a synth-happy house styling that relies mostly on the electronics below, benefiting from occasional vocal blips that seem more foreign to the ear than the interwoven computer noise permeating the track. The chanting lyrics at the end of the song serve as an indication of what’s to come later on in the album. Still, she restrains herself for now.
“Dans Ta Vraie Vie” moves toward the territory of Tigarah; taunting horns and brush-off lyrical stylings, while “Tristesse/Joie” bounces merrily along a stringy bass line and gilded synths; it’s a lovely nothing on top of electro clouds. But…don’t pause that track just yet! Yelle pulls a J. Timberlake and adds a shortened second track to the latter half of this track, a more frazzled, soaring version of the first.
Further on, tracks like “Les Femmes” takes it down a bit, adding a sexy 8-bit swing, yet remaining faithful to the album’s sound. “Je Veux Te Voir” is the stand out here; an all-out dance anthem. Language is no barrier here; this is a hands-in-the-air alarm call for the club crowd and indie scene alike.
Pop Up is nothing particularly memorable. Each track has a limited staying power as far as attention span is concerned. At the moment however, it’s a fun form of electric escapism. The album’s contents are like musical truffles; each one a sugary confection, filled with something rather delicious in the middle bits. Be sure to take a sampling of these dancefloor delights before they’re all chewed up:
DL: Yelle – Dans Ta Vraie Vie
DL: Yelle – Les Femmes
DL: Yelle – Je Veux Te Voir
