The follow up to Nouvelle Vague's big debut album. "Melodic, sophisticated, a stroke of genius... one of the years most interesting albums" - The Telegraph. In 2004 Nouvelle Vague's eponymous debut introduced French duo Marc Collin and Olivier Libaux's singular take on post-punk nuggets by the likes of Joy Division, Depeche Mode, Tuxedo Moon and The Undertones, recasting them as svelte, sophisticated bossa nova-inflected chansons, given wing by a succession of breathy-voiced guest Left Bank chanteuses. A hit album all over Europe and beyond (concerts in over twenty countries, several tracks given virtual ubiquity courtesy of seriously smitten TV advertisers), Nouvelle Vague spent much of the ensuing year touring in support. On stage, singers Melanie Pain, Camille and Phoebe Killdeer helped flesh out sets with songs not on the album, like Buzzcocks' 'Ever Fallen In Love', New Order's 'Blue Monday' and The Sound's 'I Can't Escape Myself', proving that Nouvelle Vague is no novelty one-off, but rather a vibrant springboard for further reassessment of the darker musical '80s. Those songs, along with eleven other mesmerising reinterpretations, now grace 'Bande à Part', Nouvelle Vague's second album; the next chapter in their beguiling, retro-futurist odyssey. Included are a European gothic-meets-Haitian voodoo take on Bauhaus' vampiric 'Bela Lugosi's Dead', sung with eerie restraint by Phoebe Tolmer and a beautifully soulful swing through Yazoo's 'Don't Go', with Gerald Toto's Aaron Neville-like pipes swathed in lavish strings. Echo & The Bunnymen's 'The Killing Moon' is casually relieved of it's gothic grandiosity, Billy Idol's onanistic 'Dancin' With Myself' given an unlikely '40s jump band swing and The Cramps' 'Human Fly' defrocked of its horror-billy trappings (instead sounding like Juliet Greco covering Peggy Lee), there's more than enough Gauloise smoke atmosphere, lilting acoustic guitars and rouge-lipped Left Bank sexiness to keep aficionados blissfully happy. The limited edition CD version has 3 extra tracks and special artwork. "An inspired collection of potent songs... a cult gem" - The Guardian "Unquestioningly beautiful... will set Latin flames surging through the coldest post-punk blood" - Mojo "A sultry riot... a compendium of unsettling surprises" - Uncut "Full of yearning, poise and the quiet tears of a gently aching heart" - NME "The summer's sassiest and surprising album" - iDJ " A unique and haunting sound - a beautiful and charming album" - Clash "Destined to close club nights across the country this summer" - Metro
