PIAS Vinyl & CDs

Review: The heady collaborative cocktail of Marc Collin and the late Olivier Libaux, who came together in 2003, led to the quiet storm that its Nouvelle Vague, a project with its heart set on a winner from the start: the fusion of post-punk songwriting with the form and instrumentation of bossa nova. Intended as a one-off, the success of the project came as a surprise, but the duo were hardly willing to let a good thing slide for the sake of dourer endeavours. As part of a retrospective, comprehensive reissues series on top of a new album, this repress of the first album takes us back to where it all began.

Review: Marc Collin hit lucky when as Nouvelle Vague he decided to interpret some post-punk classics in a bossa nova style over 20 years ago. Initially thought of as a one-off project, Nouvelle Vague was hugely successful and led to further albums, critical acclaim, TV adverts and riches beyond his wildest dreams (maybe). The fifth instalment proves that 'if it ain't broke don't fix it' by once again re-working post-punk era classics into a laid-back easy listening style. 'Should I Stay Or Should I Go' is a shockingly well-made addition to the project, and, this being 2023, is the crispest and cleanest selection no less.