CD Review: Sebastien Tellier, Sexuality (Record Makers)
Oct 7, 2008 1:24 PM
Synth-pop kitsch, slight return
About halfway through Daft Punk's ponderous Matthew Barney-meets-Rod Serling film Electroma, when the title duo finally realize that their faux human masks won't make it in a helmeted world, the mournful strains of Sebastien Tellier's 2001 single "Universe" fade in from the ether of deep space to provide the perfect emotional grist for the scene—quiet, sad, solitary and distant. It's a far cry indeed from Tellier's latest effort, which is produced, aptly enough, by Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, and brims with a nudge-wink reverence for the downtempo new-wave pop sound that was so hot in Paris in the '80s. Channeling a weird amalgam of Serge Gainsbourg, late-era 10cc, Vangelis and even (can you believe it) Gino Vannelli, Tellier moves easily between the softcore disco-funk of "Kilometer" and the steamy after-hours cheese of "Pomme," complete with requisite moans of female delight. The dated synth pads and tinny drum machines don't always make for a riveting listen, but it's clear that sonic wallpaper is more what Tellier has in mind—especially if it's lining the bedroom.—Bill Murphy [3.5 out of 5 stars]
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