The lovely town of Montreal, Quebec has recently become an epicenter of sorts for a new wave of burgeoning indie rock. Bands such as Malajube, Wolf Parade, and the now world renowned Arcade Fire have created a brand of music that utilizes Montreal’s unique demographic. Buried within the lore of the scene is the terrific yet less heralded Pas Chic Chic. Featuring former members of a number of other Montreal based bands, PCC has developed a unique and innovative style of indie rock by taking advantage of their various influences.
Pas Chic Chic is assuredly an eclectic bunch. Frontman Roger Tellier-Craig was an original member of the innovative post-rock group God Speed You! Black Emperor. Meanwhile guitarist Radwan Moumneh was formally apart a hardcore band called Cursed, though he currently helps run the Hotel2Tango recording studio in Montreal where a number of famous Canadian acts have recorded albums. Hotel2Tango may very well be the bridge that links Pas Chic Chic to its peers. On the band’s debut album Au Contraire the influences are palpable. Bands such as Arcade Fire, The Dears and Silver Mt. Zion have recorded in the studio, and their impact on PCC’s sound is undeniable. At the same time though, this band offers something completely new, daring and definitely enjoyable.
It doesn’t take long to realize that Au Contraire is not your typical Indie rock album. First off, there really isn’t much that should be considered “rock” on this album at all; Pas Chic Chic is far too experimental for that. Au Contraire instead beautifully mixes French pop, psychedelia, baroque pop, German Krautrock, and just for good measure a bit of tropicalia (a Brazilian rooted movement that has been tinkered with by acts such as David Byrne and Beck). Secondly, the album is all sung in French.
This may seem a bit heavy for your average music listener, but generally the sounds work magnificently well together. The album actually starts off innocently enough, the opening minutes of “Haute Infidelite” is a typical string filled indie rock tune; quite suddenly though the rather bright melody crosses over into a much harsher display of ambience and instrumental delight. Much of the album follows suit, though it never even comes close to being predictable. Songs such as the buoyant “En Chaine Et En Vogue” and the ethereal “Mile Mille” changes things up by featuring the soprano vocals of Marie Douce, playing Regine Chassagne to Tellier-Craig’s Win Bulter.
Though the comparisons to popular indie bands are hard to ignore, the fact that Pas Chic Chic are miles out of the scope of the mainstream is a point that isn’t hard to grasp. Au Contraire is centered in good songwriting and beautiful melodies first and foremost, but the band doesn’t leave a single song on the album untouched by the group’s drive to create a barrage of new and experimental sounds. The last three minutes of the four minute long “Vous Comprenez Pourquoi” is dripping in screeching ambient noise and distortion while the eloquent vocals and a marching rhythm take to the background. Meanwhile the French lyrics on “Haydee Morcelee” offer an interesting take on the Latin flavored composition. The final song on Au Contraire is a theatrical styled instrumental orchestral piece that fades into the sound of a lonely sea for the final minute. Odd? Yes. Stunning? You betcha.
While neither Pas Chic Chic nor their experimental new album will ever gain the sheer popularity of some of their Canadian counterparts, you’d be hard pressed to find a better all around rewarding album than Au Contraire. The disc is swimming in unpredictable yet wholly satisfying experimental indie rock. For fans of the Montreal indie scene, Pas Chic Chic may be more than just a welcome inclusion into a suddenly mainstream movement; this band may very well be the number one group you really need to know about that call Ville de Montreal their home.
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