Short Reviews [Chromb! - 2023 - "Cinq"]

Who said RIO could not be fun? Here we have the fifth album from the wonderful Chromb!, again featuring Antoine Mermet (saxophone, synthesizer, delay, vocals), Camille Durieux (synthesizers, vocals), Leo Dumont (drums, vocals) and Lucas Hercberg (bass, vocal), and the major synth sound being used throughout sounds as if it has been lifted straight from Pacman! It is not a style of synth one often comes across, and to hear it being provided in a complex manner against a complex and uncompromising rhythm section is quite special. If a different tone had been used then it would not have had nearly the same impact as it is not just the notes but how they are coming across which makes it what it is. When that is combined with twee vocals as on “Roupoutoum contre Routoupoum “ one really starts to wonder what is going on. Dur et Doux are one of the most interesting and consistent labels around, releasing complex music which always needs to be listened to and can never be discarded into the background and Chromb! are one of the many highlights which can be found in their catalogue. This is their fourth album for the label and it is obvious this is where they belong as they have the freedom to do whatever they want, and even though it is the same line-up this is in many ways quite removed from their last release, 2020’s ‘Le Livre Des Merveilles’. Just when one thinks there is a path through the thorns everything closes in and we are forced into a very different direction with “Pauvre Brobre” being quite menacing with screams and strained vocals being brought together with horror and crashing cymbals and a repeated melody on a stylophone? It should never work but it does, as it is enthralling and like a car crash one cannot look away but stay engrossed until the very end. This is uncompromising stuff which has incredible depth and is truly progressive with huge elements of free jazz as they continue to go where they will, no matter what else is happening.