Review: Christine And The Queens ‘La Vita Nuova’
CHRISTINE AND THE QUEENS
LA VITA NUOVA
Christine’s surprise EP is a masterful display of emotion and beauty. A standout release of 2020 that will be hard to top by any artist. An exciting hint at a fresh new chapter for the French pioneer.
★★★★★
Christine never stops. Despite only just finishing a world tour last autumn, she still found time to return to the studio and finish an EP of completely new material. ‘La Vita Nuova’.
Opening with what we once believed to have been a one-off single, ‘People I’ve Been Sad’. I’m going to say it boldly now; this is by far the greatest song to be released in 2020. It will not simply be topped. It is an all-new emotional peak for Christine. She’s no stranger to drawing pure emotion through a track and into a listener, but this feels different, it feels amplified. It’s both deeply personal and relatable at the same time. It’s no secret that Christine has faced loss, but this song allows you to project your feelings onto the incredibly powerful track. A rare feat indeed. The way she segues between languages is fluid and the transformation into French on the bridge has an incredible effect on the track, it adds extra softness and delicacy, allowing Christine to build to an almighty and powerful crescendo. I haven’t felt so strongly about a song in so long, a masterpiece.
Believe it or not, that’s only the start. Being only 6 tracks long really allows Christine to explore all the different facets of her sound. ‘Je disparais dans tes bras’ and its bonus English version ‘I disappear in your arms’ see’s Christine’s vocals ride a tidal wave of bouncing, driving percussion. This is surrounded by hip-hop style ad-libs, another example of Christine’s love for the genre and inventive production style.
‘Mountains’ is a stripped-back, piano-led ballad. It feels like a powerful centerpiece of not just the EP, but something that wouldn’t be a miss in a major theatrical performance. The lyrics and length of the track are brisk, yet it showcases just how much emotion Christine can pour into a 2-minute segment. The variation in the track from the first second to its last is astonishing and a masterclass in building tension, emotion, and sounds.
‘Nada’ highlights the underlying techno and disco themes throughout Christine’s discography. A strong electronic beat intertwines with traditional piano flairs. The percussion falls and rises throughout, like an instrument wielded by Chris’s vocals. Deep masculine background vocals seep through, like a dark voice whispering into Christine’s ear throughout. Painting the image of a devil on her shoulder.
The final, and also title track ‘La Vita Nuova’ is a promiscuous and highly sexually charged duet with Caroline Polacheck. Even ignoring the music video, just the song itself gives the aura of a dance-off between the two incredible vocalists. Polachek’s Italian especially has a seductive and mysterious tone that play’s off well against Christine’s vocal delicacy and delivery. A final breakdown in the tracks groove experiments with percussion in a way that is fresh and exciting for Christine.
Overall, it’s impossible to fault this concise, cohesive release. I like many others wondered how Christine would evolve or perhaps continue her sound from the incredible ‘Chris’. ‘La Vita Nuova’ embraces so many different sounds and flourishes whilst still sounding distinctively like a Christine and The Queens project that I’m left simply thrilled rather than cautious at what lies ahead.