Lo'Jo - Cosmophono (Chansons Apatrides) 2009

Lo'Jo are instantly recognizable but also a band of infinite variations. The recognition factor comes through the voice of Denis Péan, full of his own personality but sounding somewhere between Tom Waits and Serge Gainsbourg, and the sororal harmonies of the El Nourid sisters. The variation comes in the tone of the writing from disc to disc and -- in this case -- the inclusion of L'Orchestre Cosmophonique on several tracks, bringing wind instruments and, for the first time, guitar to a Lo'Jo album. The music is lower-key and smoother than usual, but the constituent elements are all in place, such as the hypnotic touches of dub that spread out across "Pays Natal" or the expressive violin work of Richard Bourreau, whose talents aren't praised enough. The band has added more instruments to its arsenal and has begun including more samples and programming. Around the turn of the millennium they were poised to be big stars on the world music scene and they stepped back from that to keep creating the music that matters to them, bringing together the strands of different cults in their own unique way. They're a fascinating band. There might not be anything here as immediate as on some previous albums, but there's depth enough to withstand repeated plays. AMG. Thanks to MFP.

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