There is very little information about who exactly is
Théodore on the press release apart from the
fact that he is a young man and that he hails from Greece.
A Summer She Has Never Been, A Winter She Fears gives
very little more clues, but turns out to be a rather
a surprisingly engaging record.
A Summer… is a beautifully poetic and evocative
piece of work. All along its fifty or so minutes, this
album displays stunning little melodies, delicate acoustic
instrumentation, found sounds and atmospheric elegance.
In the same way as Múm seem to turn rigorous
arctic winters into songs, Théodore creates with
this album a curiously summery soundtrack on which a
gentle breeze seems to blow. Although the music is exquisitely
modern and fresh, there are some interesting touches
of traditional Greek music influences, either in the
way Théodore arranges sounds and instrumentation,
or in the way he develops his melodies. Very perceptible
on the crystalline Madam Ortance or the moody After
Silence, Théodore’s cultural roots also
transpire in Little Things, Permanent Things, Boring
Things, La Mammon or the pastoral Symphony For Toys.
Théodore’s attention to details and his
clever juxtaposition of acoustic and electronic elements
contribute to A Summer… being a fascinating piece
of work on which the light seems to change constantly,
revealing new tones, shapes and textures as each track
almost imperceptibly progresses. I Dreamt I Was Throwing
Stones At The Sea, which opens the album, is a perfect
example of how subtle and delicate the man’s music
is. Despite an obvious wave sample providing an all
too easy backdrop, the focus here is really on the melody
and layered found sounds which weave the emotional canvas
of the composition together and progressively develop
into an interesting combination. No Spring could appear
as a simple extension of the opening track to start
with, but Théodore soon reveals a more upfront
and focused element to his work, which reappears at
regular intervals throughout the record.
The Greek culture benefit of centuries of Ottoman domination,
and this is often palpable in Théodore’s
music, introducing elements of Middle Eastern dissonances
and microtonal musical structures (Little Things…,
She Speaks Mellifluously Of Kings & Poets). At others,
he refers to more traditionally Western influences (the
dramatic effervescence of Piaf on Montmartre, the electronic
classicism of Eno in Isobel).
Despite a few obvious pointers (the sea sample on the
opening tracks, the accordion of Montmartre) and a pointless
moment (Quand On Arrive En Ville), this album is a very
interesting piece of work, with some subtle instrumentation
and clever sonic display. A Summer… also reveals
some fascinating, and slightly unusual, musical constructions,
and provides the listener with countless moments of
stunning beauty.
4.4/5 |
