Cassette Review // Feu Follet "Swamps Of Sadness" (Blackjack Illuminist Records)

 

https://blackjackilluministrecords.bandcamp.com/album/swamps-of-sadness

On "Swamps Of Sadness", Feu Follet has found a way to make this darkwave sound feel different with each vocalist but also grounded in the same overall sound as well.   Right away on the first song you can hear the Danny Elfman / The Thermals type of sound coming out with the help of Vlimmer.   There is that bouncing bass line as it can also feel intense and just like it's on a mission.   There is a more fun, electronic vibe on "Clare's Vision", which features Pierre Bastien, as it remains dark but has synths like magic.  An electronic break down can be heard and with lyrics about "Heaven above" I'm reminded of when Thrice covered "Send Me An Angel". 

With the guest vocals of Isabelle B. Baumann, "Alice" has this 1990's sci-fi fantasy masterpiece way about it.  "Dreams" is dark and expanding synth with hints of John Carpenter, while "Ashes In The Frost" just seems to full on embrace those horror synth tones before kicking into a video game, becoming somewhat robotic.   This takes us into a big synth like electronic pinball sound to start off Side B, which also opens up with Vlimmer.  The synth here becomes less dark and more energetic.

"No Sorrow" has guitar start and stops like Franz Ferdinand but then also these ghoul whirrs.  Industrial beats and electronics come out on "No Destiny", which then goes into some dreamy bliss which has hints of Blondie.   Slower bliss tones begin "Return Of The Sun", though it also becomes chaotic and has a very musical ending as well, complete with it sounding like someone unplugging the guitar from the amp.

What I find interesting about this cassette is that there are nine songs with five on the first side and four on the second.  No one who guests on here is repeated on the same side, so you have Pierre Bastien only appearing on A and not on B.   Both sides begin with Vlimmer and end with Pat Aubier, but in the middle, well, those two artists switch on each side.   The way that the two sides can mirror each other without being exactly the same is how this cassette sounds overall- different, but the same.