I found this album a good 5 years after its release, back when I was still constantly grazing the JB Hi Fi CD section. I had heard her featured on a dance-y single that my sister was listening to at the time. But this seems to be a false memory because I have scoured the internet to find that song and it doesn’t seem to exist.
In any case, I had never heard anything like it. The hit off the album ‘Ta douleur’ was doing the rounds but her ideas had legs and the interest is sustained across the full album. Her incredible looping ability and diversity in expression/articulation is unbelievable. I love gross sounds, body sounds, the spitting and the silly sounds which can be easily dismissed as gimmicky or low brow. But I want visceral sound.
The looping is probably what Camille is most known for, but honestly her clear and frank voice putting out these songs that are perfect in form and balance does it for me. I wrote that sentence and realise that’s it, everything here is perfectly balanced both in the internal structure of every song – be it 52 seconds or 5+ minutes – as well across the whole album.
frantic / angry / disgusted / calm soft / optimistic / unconcerned / frank
The Thread. It’s perfect. There is such a sense of unity that is obviously maintained through the unrelenting B drone, but beyond that the songs all carry the same energy of connected moments. I don’t speak French, and my singing along is garbled nonsense, but when I listen to the album I feel a true sense of belonging and intimacy. I have a distinct memory of being at Woden bus station and asking my French speaking boyfriend of the time if he knew what she was saying. All he could pick out was ‘Je suis un cactus’ and even I could cop that.
Je suis ici / Je suis dedans / Je suis debout Je ne me moquerai plus de tout
I return to this album probably every three years, and every time I devour the album because I look forward to every song.
Key tracks:
Janine III: Such a great side-story throughout the album leading to this 1min 11sec flurry of energy.
Pour que l’amour me quitte: So calm. Simple but beautiful melody. No fear of a touch of fantasy.
Quand je marche: This song has to exist so it does. Such a wonderful pocket.
Jolie bruine: Joyous. Unafraid.
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