Album review

Yann Tiersen & Shannon Wright

Yann Tiersen & Shannon Wright

Paris 

07/12/2004 - 

What happens when you pair Yann Tiersen, the talented multi-instrumentalist from Brest (who made an international name for himself with the soundtrack to the hit film Amélie) with the soft, tortured vocals of American rock'n'folk guitarist Shannon Wright? Ten magical tracks which are as dark, brooding and melancholy as they are elegant and sensual! The album Yann Tiersen & Shannon Wright is the perfect musical marriage between two kindred spirits, an album on which piano, guitar and violin come to life in a rare communion.

At a time when bland stereotypical duets are all the rage on the French music scene (a craze fuelled by music 'talent' shows which have sadly become TV reality!), it is refreshing to find two artists from different musical backgrounds coming together in perfect harmony. At first glance, little seemed to presage the union of Yann Tiersen and Shannon Wright. It was almost as if each of these highly individual artists had spent years locked away solo preparing their eventual meeting, Yann cooking up his "kitchen music" on string and diatonic instruments and his precious piano while Shannon thrashed away on acoustic guitars and her cherished Stratocaster.

The notoriously shy pair of music stars finally came together to form a 20-fingered duo, but the chemistry between the two was far from instant. When Yann and Shannon first met in September 2003 their interaction was limited to a brief behind-the-scenes exchange which not even the most observant bystander could have taken as a sign of their future collaboration.

A shared sensibility

Yann and Shannon were, in fact, formally introduced in Paris in the spring of 2004. At the time, Yann was working on a demo tape for his new album (due to be released in March 2005). As for Shannon, she had just made her début in front of a French audience at "Les Femmes s’en mêlent" festival and was busy putting the finishing touches to her album Over The Sun, produced by Steve Albini (famous for his work with PJ Harvey, Nirvana, The Pixies and Dionysos). At this point, Yann and Shannon appeared to be two distant Celtic cousins, separated by a physical ocean but united by a common love of moody abstract melodies and wordy melancholy-tinged lyrics.

Left to themselves, the two timid musicians may well have limited their communication to small talk and polite smiles. But, fortunately, Fabrice Laureau (the producer of Yann's album L’absente) was on hand to serve as interpreter and ice-breaker. What could have remained as a vague idea of the duo coming together to work at some point was transformed into the concrete project of an appointment in the studio together. And the result is a surprisingly homogenous album created by two artists who share the same artistic vision and tormented sensibility, a songwriting pair who have the same urgent need for expression coursing through their veins, producing a heady and invigorating cocktail of love, anger, happiness, mystic inspiration and moody introspection.

Musical sparring partners

In short, Shannon and Yann make the perfect music couple, sitting side by side with their hands gently caressing their strings. On songs such as No Mercy For She and Pale White piano and guitar chords rise from calm, controlled cadences to wild, strident rhythms, Shannon crooning her plaintive, feline vocals while Yann's bow flies across his violin. Shannon's vocals really come into their own on a track like Dragon Fly, where she takes the dreamy ballad a million miles from classic American folk, throwing in a healthy dose of electric guitar and a haunting burst of accordion. While You Sleep moves things on to a very different tempo, Shannon thrashing her spleen pout on bass and acoustic guitar on an energy-fuelled number reminiscent of PJ Harvey (in her Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea period). The highlight of this track is undoubtedly the 'suffocated' violin intro which evolves into a languorous arpeggio on electric guitar accompanied by a cascade of raw, emotive vocals.

Yann Tiersen & Shannon Wright thrills with the vibrancy of a friendly duel where, unconsciously, the two sparring partners veer between emulation and passion. And this only adds to the musical force of the album. On Callous Son, for instance, the piano issues a spirited challenge to drums while on Dried Sea (the undisputed masterpiece of the album which opens with an impressive Red House Painters-style riff) the drums are almost drowned out by the sound of the violin.

Following the release of their accomplished joint opus, Yann and Shannon will undoubtedly turn their attention to individual projects. But their joint concerts at the "Transmusicales" festival in Rennes (3, 4 and 5 December) could set the seal on their union and encourage them to (pro)create more of their 'prodigal songs.' We fervently hope this will be the case!

Yann Tiersen & Shannon Wright (Vicious Circle - Ici d’Ailleurs/Discograph) 2004

David  Glaser

Translation : Julie  Street