You have to hand it to French Canadian band Néodyme because their sound on their second full length indie release La Tour (The Tower) is difficult to pin down to any one particular style. Counting such diverse sounding musicians like Frank Zappa, Pain Of Salvation and Gentle Giant as influences kind of gives you that 'expect the unexpected' feeling going in, and that this album will be a real mixed bag of music and for the most part La Tour is exactly that.
The real strength of Néodyme is as mentioned their uncanny ability to cover a wide range of styles, often within the same piece of music, so the listener is always kept on their toes trying to figure out which direction the band will veer off into at any given moment. I admire musicians that aren't afraid to take risks with their music and Néodyme are clearly of the mindset that by exploring these different styles (metal, progressive, jazz, classical etc…) and moods, that it makes for a more enjoyable and varied listening experience and I couldn't agree more. Check out the Latin rhythms, jazzy electric guitar passages on display on "Solitude", the fabulous flamenco guitar work on "La Descente" (The Descent) or how the gorgeous, airy flute work dances harmoniously with the shimmering keyboards and soaring guitar solos featured throughout "Éclipsée" and you get a pretty good idea of what these four young musicians are capable of. The real highlight on La Tour though has to be the almost ten minute "C'est Dans La Tour" (It's In The Tower) which goes through a multitude of different and surprisingly cohesive sounding structural shifts and moods that never comes off sounding forced or convoluted in any way.
If I have one minor gripe with La Tour it would be with the overall sound of the disc which is a bit muddy in places. The album could have benefitted from a cleaner, crisper mix which I think would have made a significant improvement towards the overall listening experience. That being said, I can find little fault with the performances of the musicians, or the strength and splendid amount of variety found within these compositions. La Tour might be a bit unpolished, but nevertheless a gem is still a gem.
Track Listing
1) Asile
2) La Descente
3) C'est Dans La Tour
4) Solitude
5) Casse- Tête
6) Laisser- Passer A38
7) Motion Circulaire
8) Éclipsée
9) Montagnes Russes
10) Néodyme En Fusion: 1297k
11) La Brèche…
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