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Gabriel Yacoub
Quatre
Gabriel Yacoub has been turning French music on its ear for decades now, first as a member of the French rock band Malicorne, and then in a series of solo and ensemble albums that have ranged from guitar and voice alone to experimental works for synths. Through it all he has made music that stayed remarkably true to his roots.
Quatre comes down in the middle ground, which is not to say mediocre. In fact, it may be his most fully realized work yet. It moves between traditional sounds and contemporary moods with flawless ease. The ancient vielle a roue (hurdy-gurdy) or the cornemuse (bagpipe) share an equal role with the synthesizers and electric guitars in exploring both the roots and modern tone of the record. The band is expansive, from the absolutely peerless hurdy-gurdy playing of Gilles Chabenat (who enthralled the New York City audience at their recent concert there) to the subtle bass lines of Yannick Hardouin. Backing vocals by Nikki Matheson throughout and guest chords from Paul Brady give it power. Koras, synths, percussion, oboe, violins, and guitars all blend into the background and support the feel without ever becoming trivial ethnic touches.
But the heart of the matter is still Yacoub. His voice has matured to a rich yet unprocessed instrument, his guitar playing is intricate, percussive and perfect for his songs, which are the real meat of the album. When I first heard some of these new songs two years ago at a concert, I couldn't get them out of my head. I roamed around Finland for the week after singing "Le sel est sur la table.." and "les bannieres qui click-clack..." (the last being my literal interpretation of the sounds). Yacoub writes from simple ideas of love, life and the certainty of nature. But his songs have an urgency that complicates the message, and his melodies charge that complexity. Medieval scales meet harsh modern buzzes, folksy lines of notes become deceptively dark as they strike the minor chord. Every song has some surprise, be it a simple change in rhythm or a series of unexpected transpositions of key or melody. Yacoub is a master craftsman who never lets that perfection cloud the emotional content of his songs. - Cliff Furnald, RootsWorld review, 1995
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