Even in its nightmarish moments, Ian Caulfield’s music always sounds naive and luminous.
A native of Reims, the creative city which has given birth to lots of French indie acts (The Bewitched Hands, Black Bones, The Shoes…), Ian Caulfield isn’t a complete newcomer. Working first on English-spoken songs, the singer released two videos in 2018, oscillating between dark orchestral pop (“Winter Leaf”) and even more obscure electronic sounds, a bit reminiscent of Fever Ray (“Mess in New York”).
And yet, even in its nightmarish moments, his music always sounds refreshingly naive and luminous, like a frightening fairytale. It’s even more evident in the artist’s new song and video “Pas Grand Chose”, the first single from his upcoming project sung, this time, in French. Including a children’s choir and a sparkling chorus, “Pas Grand Chose” offers a exhilarating contrast with its hip-hop-oriented beat.
In view of his diligent attention to instrumental parts’ dynamism and addictive melodies, discovering that Ian is influenced as much by the dream pop of Beach House as the amazing productions of American rapper Kendrick Lamar isn’t really surprising. What truly is, though, is seeing him (beautifully) succeed in mixing all of that together
*
