Living now in London near the old apartment of Syd Barrett, one of his first idols, Etienne Daho celebrates life on his 11th studio album.

Entitled “Blitz”, in reference to the Nazi bombing offensive against Britain, his new project is a reaction to the last upheavals that happened in the country, from Brexit to terrorist attacks.

But also to a more personal one: a peritonitis which almost cost him his life during summer 2013, becoming the subject of the first single “Les Flocons de l’Eté”: “Tout est blanc. Tout Givré. Survivant. Tout flingué. C’est l’hiver en été.” Which means: “Everything’s white. All frosted. Survivor. Everything’s fucked up. It’s winter in summer.” Blitz’ sound also reflects British music culture, extending Daho’s usual electropop to psychedelic rock influenced by The Velvet Underground and early Pink Floyd (“Voodoo Voodoo”, “The Deep End”…).

Even more surprisingly, he nearly adopts a 90’s american grunge and stoner stance on “Après le Blitz”, “Les cordages de la nuit”’s hook and above all the sublime opener “Les Filles du Canyon”, laying his stellar and powerfully-reverbed vocals on massive guitar riffs and epic drums. “Blitz” is definitely the heaviest Daho’s LP but the singer hasn’t lost his ability to make us daydream though.

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Stream “Blitz” on Spotify.