Ever wondered how new wave classics would sound in bossanova? Against all odds, the answer comes from the town of Aix-en-Provence in France.
Nouvelle Vague, which means "new wave", is a collective that aims to give a fresh twist to post-punk anthems that resonated throughout the 80's. While these songs have been reworked into French touch style bossanova, various singers-all women-get behind the mike, adding to the exoticism of the renditions depending of the strength of their accent and on their English skills.
I must admit that, growing up as a black-clad Goth, I never would have thought that I would one day listen to covers of some of my favorite songs such as the Sisters of Mercy's "Marian", Joy Division's "Love will never tear us apart" and PIL's "This is not a love song" in bossanova and furthermore, enjoy them. But all these versions work because they are totally different from the originals while maintaining the essence of the songs. Most tracks here are laid back and breezy enough to allow you to agreeably chill out without ever feeling the rage—or a sense of sacrilege—that somebody dared to take on the emblematic tunes that shaped a generation. Nouvelle Vague succeeds even where Cure failed, such as covering Joy Division's hit—ever heard Cure's soporific version of "Love will tear us apart"?
Other songs include Depeche Mode's "I just can't get enough", which arguably sounds almost better here, "In a manner of speaking", which was already redone by Martin Gore, The Dead Kennedy's "Too drunk to fuck"—one of my favorites here—, The Clash's "Guns of Brixton", The Cure's "A Forest", Killing Jokes' "Psyche", The Undertones' "Teenage Kicks" as well as cuts by Tuxedomoon, Modern English, XTC & The Specials.
Whether you're a child of the 80's or just a fan of Bebel Gilberto, you will certainly enjoy surfing this Nouvelle Vague.
Nouvelle Vague Love Will Tear Us Apart
