actuellecd

Review

François Couture, AllMusic, 1 juillet 1999

The first album from the avant-rock quartet Papa Boa, Tête à Queue (“Tailspin”) is a rollercoaster of energy and surprises. The group featured Bernard Falaise on guitars, Pierre Labbé on saxophone and flute, Rémi Leclerc on drums and Frédéric Roverselli on bass. This CD presents twelve short songs (nothing over six minutes), twelve examples of twisted, deconstructed, revisited rock, twelve anthems dominated by Falaise’s screaming guitar and Leclerc’s octopusian rhythms. Papa Boa benefited from guests on this record. Acadian singer Marie-Jo Thério lends her voice and exaggerates her accent on Un lutin, while storyteller Michel Faubert screams the story of Jean Baribeau. Song structures and melodies recall Miriodor’s album Elastic Juggling (Falaise and Leclerc make two thirds of that band) and bands like Etron Fou Leloublan and Volapük, but going beyond the cliches and further integrating improvisation in compositional and interpretational processes. Tête à Queue delivered a strong punch and reminded us all that the song format is also a field for avant-garde exploration. It also marked the arrival at Ambiances Magnétiques of Bernard Falaise, a new creative force to reckon with.

Bernard Falaise, a new creative force to reckon with.