Nuées ardentes is an album of songs (covers, to be honest) like no other. If you appreciate little masterpieces finely crafted and arranged with the care of a senior weaver from Aubusson Tapestries, you’ll be in seventh heaven listening to the duo of Rosemary Standley (from Moriarty) on vocals and Dom la Nena on cello/vocals, accompanied by the sumptuous voices of the Radio France Choir. They cover unexpected titles in this kind of format such as Smalltown Boy (Bronski Beat), The Lovecats (The Cure), People Are Strange (The Doors), Perlimpinpin (Barbara), with which they make English and Latin traditional chants dialogue, a funny song by Frenchman Bobby Lapointe and a superb baroque air by Stefano Landi, not the most famous of the time (that of Vivaldi, Bach, Handel…), but obviously, a remarkable craftsman.
What serves as a common thread throughout the entire program is a keen attention to original orchestration details, like that of an artist trained in refinement and creative intelligence stemming from classical music. And, guess what, that’s exactly the kind of grounding both artists have, having gone to good schools and had excellent training (opera for Standley, cello with Christine Walevska for Dom la Nena). We are constantly surprised by the amazing twists given to familiar melodies, but never disoriented to the point of losing interest. On the contrary, it is so well done, so stimulating (intellectually and aesthetically), that we impatiently await the next piece to once again feel the pleasure of surprise wrapped in irresistible seduction. What’s more, the two voices seem made for each other, and the cello, by turns lyrical and pointillist, magically complements them.
Without a doubt, one of the albums of the year.
