The new album is a masterpiece

[brad]

I hope she sticks with the people that helped her make this album, I really think she has found her niche now. I have come full circle on this album, I was worried when I heard the Limelight samples, but now I think this may be her strongest album yet.

I think it is strange what singles they picked, I personally think Limelight and Les Collines are the weakest songs on the album.

[DannyMac524]

I agree this is a great album. I just got mine from Amazon.fr and have been enjoying it immensely. I think she has really matured her craft and style in this album. It is in my mind very sophisticated music in many ways, almost rock operatic in some ways. I love her new look too!! The bangs remind me of her very young pictures before the Moi Lolita days. I do however like Limelight. I hope NRJ All French start playing this album. I listen to this station all day long and have not heard it yet. I wish her success with the new album, and hope that she continues to develop her music to our delight.

[Jeff]

She'll never have as many fans and people crazy over her until she goes back to the J'en ai marre and moi lolita look and dresses like she use to back then.

[VVVACCPLPNLY]

I second your enthusiasm, brad! Though I also was worred when I first heard limelight, it was for a different reason. I liked (and still do, even more so after hearing the great violin intro; I miss lb's great violin pieces most) limelight, but was hoping all the album was not this heavily-electro-influenced style. One song like that is fine, but not ten. Luckily, I was very pleasantly surprised by the whole thing. But I love NLY! It has the mysterious, indescribable magnetism present only in ÀCC. I also love FG, GC, EE, UFD, LC, and LL. But while this album is tied for second best with Gourmandises for favorite album imho, I hope she doesn't continue too awful close to this style. I love Alizée for her variety. No two albums are the same. Most people I show her to (that like her) can usually tell which songs are from the same album as each other, just by the style of the song. If she wants to keep doing electro, go ahead, but I hope she does change it up to keep it interesting.

[Deepwaters]

Originally Posted by Jeff

She'll never have as many fans and people crazy over her until she goes back to the J'en ai marre and moi lolita look and dresses like she use to back then.

If that's what it takes, it's not worth the price.

[Fenris]

Yeah, the album gets good critics everywhere but it does not sell.

A shame really.

[Deepwaters]

Originally Posted by Fenris

Yeah, the album gets good critics everywhere but it does not sell.

A shame really.

Why is everyone saying this already when it's only been out and available for less than a month, less than that even over most of the world?

I seriously doubt that up-to-date figures are even available for worldwide sales, which with Alizée are what matters.

EDIT: I agree completely with Ben. I think UEDS is her best album yet.

[user472884]

I politely and personally disagree.

[Deepwaters]

Oh, well, can't please everyone.

Maybe I should present a detailed critique of the sucker, as I did a few years ago for Psych. I'll link this post on Alizée's FB wall this evening to make sure she'll see it. (Desolé pour l'anglais mais si je l'écris en francais les gens ici ne pouvent pas le lire.)

Eden Eden -- this song reminds me of my boyhood in some ways. It's got a flower child feel to it. Somehow the fragility and unreality are conveyed along with the ethereal sweetness.

Grand Central -- I love this song. It does a fantastic job of conveying harshness and craziness. I feel like the chaos of Grand Central Station is a metaphor for frenzy running through someone's life. Beautifully done. My favorite song on the album. "J'ai faim, mon dieu, j'ai faim !"

Limelight -- this on the other hand is, for me, the weakest song on the album. The instrumentals are very good, and that saves it, but for Alizée that wonderful voice is almost everything, and this song is not a good showcase for her voice. The lyrics are too slow, the range of vocals too narrow. I like the breathy effect of the chant at the end, but on the whole this song could have been much better.

La Candida -- unfortunately I don't understand Spanish, so I can really only comment on the music here, which is great. Very catchy, cute, lively, and sweet. I like it even if I don't understand it.

Les Collines -- I love this song, too! It's one of several on the album where, in some of the lyrics, I almost feel she's singing to me personally. The repetitive chorus in English has come in for some criticism, but I feel it works well and is part of what makes the song addictive. The instrumentals, especially the drum, complement Alizée's voice wonderfully.

14 Decembre -- brilliantly done, from the haunting music to the word-play in the lyrics (e.g. "Des croix et des croisés").

A Coeur Fendre -- this is one of the darkest songs Alizée has ever sung, but also one of the more powerful. I still am not sure I understand all of the implications. I need to listen to it some more and delve more into the lyrics.

Factory Girl -- oh, my! What a powerful, grim reflection on Edie Sedgwick. Here the Sedgwick theme of the album comes through most strongly. Throughout this album there's some back-and-forth between Alizée as Sedgwick and as herself, but in this song she maximizes the role-play and does it very well.

Une Fille Difficile -- [to come]

Mes Fantomes -- this is another song where some of the lyrics seem almost to be singing to me personally. Unlike Factory Girl, this one goes to the other pole of Alizée as herself. There are clear references to her daughter, and not-so-clear reflections on her life, the details of things which aren't known. What I really like about it is the way it showcases Alizée's voice. She's really given a vehicle to deliver wonderful sound in this song.

The only overall bad thing I can say about UEDS is that there are no good songs for dancing to, but that's obviously not the intent. For the most part, what it tries to do, it does very well. I consider this overall to be the best of the four albums Alizée has released to date.

[Uroboros]

Even though my favorite is MCE, I really liked the new album, especially the songs Les Collines (Never Leave You) and Une Fille Difficile