Customer Reviews

Une Enfant Du Siecle

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I don't know that she necessarily has to go back to Mylene Farmer but she needs to find someone that can help her put together some better material to show off her talents. This album can only be labeled "electronic" because every track is backed by poorly produced and written music performed on a Casio keyboard. While the lyrics are decent and singing is good, the production makes me almost wish she'd do more covers of top 40 hits. Please understand that I'm fine with simple musical accompaniment as long as it's good. La Roux? Annie? Matt & Kim? Despite the lazy production, Alizee has a beautiful delivery and presence as always on this album. I especially liked the atmosphere of Mes fantomes.

The best I think I can hope for is that because Alizee's voice is so prominent over the music in the album perhaps some inspired electronic musicians will remix some of the tracks. I'll probably always buy her albums but this one probably won't last long in the stereo rotation unless a remix version comes out.

I wish I could give 2.5 stars. As a fan of her music I'll be kind and give her 3/5.

Ok, so as one of Alizée's fans since the beginning - I'm not going to go in the technicalities of it all - I'm just going to get straight into rating of the album. In comparison to Alizée's previous 3 albums, this one is far more electronic and 'techno' in sound. It's very eclectic and a more mature depiction of her. It's certainly different from her previous 3 releases. And it's a good improvement over her last album released in 2007 `Psychédélices'. The album is certainly worth buying.

So here's my rating:

1 = First-class/Good Track... ½ = Not too Bad/Ok... 0 = Not working

1. Eden, Eden = 1
2. Grand Central = 1
3. Limelight = ½
4. La Candida = 1
5. Les Collines (Never Leave You) = 1
6. 14 Décembre = 1
7. À Coeur Fendre = 1
8. Factory Girl = ½
9. Une Fille Difficile = ½
10. Mes Fantômes = 1

Total = 8½ / 10.
* However, I am going to subtract a ½ because I think the sound at times on some tracks could have been a bit more sophisticated in their production. Further, as a devoted Alizée fan, I expected the Album Photography to be much better - she's so beautiful, and I think they let that go to waste throughout the whole album in this regard. Sometimes Artists do well when they break away, but I strongly believe Alizée should get Mylène Farmer and Laurent Boutonnat back in terms of her music; as well as her new image.

Thus I'm rating this album as 8/10 (or) 4/5.

Laslty, here's my comparative rating of this album to her previous releases:

* Gourmandises (2000) = 9 / 10
* Mes courants électriques (2003) = 9 / 10
* Psychédélices (2007) = 6½ / 10

Forget what you know about Alizée! That is the first thing. I really liked her previous albums and that may have actually been a hindrance to enjoying this one at first because the music and even her singing style is very different. I'm more a fan of regular instrumental music. Once I got into it though, I found a real appreciation for some of the songs. This album is VERY catchy and will get into your mind and stick there. You decide if that's good. :)

This album, it turns out, has some real gems, such as my favorite, Factory Girl, which starts off with an epic style movement and Alizée just carries it right throughout the song, or the first track which will instantly transport you as soon as Alizée starts singing it, Eden, Eden. In spite of light and poppy electronica music, there is a profundity or seriousness to this album that didn't exist on her previous albums (albeit perhaps a few songs on Psychédélices), though she still has some really sweet sounds. Parts of À Caeur Fendre even sound a lot like Adélaïde to me at least as she sang it (as I recall the latter). At first I didn't like Limelight all that much, but now I understand the "epic flavor" they were trying to give it (in the full album version). It really helps the album once you "get it". I think she is trying to push the boundaries of what "Alizée sounds like". It very much reflects her 25 years of age I think. How can anyone who gives her a chance not fall in love at least a little bit with her voice? :)

Except for maybe one track, this album really puts her voice forward, on top of the music and that gives a weight to it that I think plays really well (especially for those who love Alizée). :P For example, if not for the way Alizée sings Mes Fantômes, it would just be a really simple song with not much to comment, but because of how she sings it, and actually the excellent way it was mixed, you may find yourself really falling into it. This song is another that will instantly surprise you as soon as you hear her voice.

I thought the music video for Les Collines was very good. It was edited very well for the song, establishes well the image of the album, her image as it is being portrayed for this album, and speaks to the theme of the album: Edie Sedgwick, The Factory Girl--muse of Andy Warhol. Moreover, it was a great choice for the first single because the music really gets "hyped up" at parts. Good energy.

In spite of a couple really deep songs and quite likable others, for continued listening, I do wish the album was a bit more dynamic. Musically it does not cover a lot of ground. Some say this is a good thing because it has a consistency to it that really makes it play well as a whole, but it gets old quicker for me because in general it's a bit "slow". Maybe I have little patience! I think the songs hang together better in the context of the album, but at the same time I find it easier to fall into and appreciate them individually.

It seems to me that music for this album has great potential to be really amped up and played around with a lot for a concert without ruining the essence of the song. They could just go crazy with some guitar or synthetic music and make the music really explode with instrumental interludes and so forth! That could be really awesome for a fan! That thought alone really makes me want to go to a concert.

I love Alizee since I heard her on the sound track of the movie, A Good Year', which I also loved.
This CD is a little 'expected'....but she's fabulous.
Her earlier recordings are better

Great album to listen to,it was aesthetic,Im hoping that would perform live in Los Angeles some day.

Much different than the previous Alizee albums, but worth getting if you are a fan. Because it is so different, it took a bit to get past the changes, but once I did that I like it.

The "Une Enfant Du Siecle" project was indeed a risky move for Alizee. Collaborating with Chateau Marmont and other prominent electronica genre artists, Alizee produced a musical gem from the first to last track. I think that Alizee was brilliant in her selection of composers and lyricists that hold true to her Edie Sedgewick theme while maintaining a universal interpretive appeal. Though I remain a fan of her previous three studio projects, I favor Une Enfant Du Siecle for its commitment to a single genre, songs that are rich with quality melodies and smart lyrics. A definite triumph...Bravo...Alizee!

Une Enfant Du Siecle is the latest CD from Alizee and marks a change from all of her previous recordings. I'd describe the musical style as a return to late 20th century European synth-pop. Don't get me wrong, Alizee's voice is as beautiful as ever, but the music sounds dated. You will be hard pressed to hear a guitar, piano or even real drum sounds on this recording. I've listened to this album for a couple weeks and it pales in comparison to all of her previous recordings. I eventually removed it from my CD player and replaced it with her previous recordings. Just look at Alizee's picture on the cover of the cd. The way she's looking at you and the way she is covering her ears should be warning enough. If you love any of Alizee's previous recordings, think long and hard before you spend money on this one.

Song-by-Song:

1. Eden, Eden - 10/10
2. Grand Central - 10/10
3. Limelight - 6/10
4. La Candida - 8/10 (I would give this a 9, but it's a bit short for my liking.)
5. Les Collines - 10/10
6. 14 Décembre - 8/10
7. A Coeur Fendre - 8/10
8. Factory Girl - 8/10
9. Une Fille Difficile - 10/10
10. Mes Fantômes - 9/10

Average: 87/100 = 8.7/10

Overall: This is not something you'd expect from Alizée, but it's still a great album. As stated, it has a more "electronica" sound than her previous efforts, but I feel that style works pretty well for her. She has a very unique voice with a range that has always impressed me, and she hasn't abandoned that on this album. I usually don't like electronica because I feel that the background music can overpower the singer, but that's not the case here. Whether you're a new or longtime fan, check out Alizée's new musical style...you just might end up loving it.

There's just something unique about Alizée, a certain je ne sais quoi that endears her to all who come within her orbit. In the early aughts, she rapidly rose from obscurity to fame shortly after her debut, producing the number one European hit in 2000 and, for at least one year, becoming the best-selling chanteuse française worldwide.

Now, she has broken her creative silence for the first time in something over three years with her newest CD, "Une Enfant Du Siecle". The style is totally different but the voice is unmistakably Alizée and a more mature Alizée at that. Described by some as French electro-pop, I was prepared for the CD's contents to be reminiscent of Yelle's recent performances but it's less extreme than Yelle's. It is, in a word, delightful.

The sixty-four euro question has been answered: can Alizée continue to be a musical tour de force sans the influence of her former mentor, Mylène Farmer? The answer, clearly, is yes she can!

My only regret? That there wasn't more than slightly under thirty-seven minutes of music on the disc. Ah, but that leaves something more, one can hope, for the next time...