The world has changed in distinct ways since Lyonese group L’étrangleuse released their last album in 2019–and so has the band. Once a duo, their new record Ambiance Argile sees them doubled, original multi-instrumentalists Maël Salètes and Mélanie Virot grounded by a new low end made up of drummer Léo Dumont and bassist Anne Godefert. Salètes has pared down on globe-trotting duties with other projects, spending more of his time in Lyon playing as part of Sahra Halgan’s group, another manifestation of rootedness that shapes the new L’étrangleuse. The LP that emerges feels balanced, making the ensemble’s eclectic sounds even more powerful.
Twice as many musical explorers make for exceptionally intricate expeditions. L’étrangleuse have always been committed to charting unique melodic courses–as a duo, the group were based on sparkling dialogues between Salètes’ Bamako-based ngoni training and Virot’s nimble harpistry–and their engagements with a range of creative worlds continue on Ambiance Argile. For “Les Pins” and “Pas de Mort”, they interpret the works of influential Slovene modernist poet Srečko Kosovel, blending warm vocal harmonies with stripped-down percussion and, on the former, spirited strings. Whispered lyrics tiptoe through a barebones noir soundscape on eerie songs “Ambiance Argile” and “Ennemi”, both thick with their own self-contained atmospheres.
On track after track, L’étrangleuse deal in a gamut of refined poetics, their overall sensibilities polished but still inventive enough to be gripping in their affective and aesthetic complexities. The kicky bass and bright, shifting rhythms of “Le Remède” contrast with the dire weight of its sentiments that the poison is the titular cure. “Ornières” emulates the electroacoustic sounds of Congolese tradi-moderne and classic punk rock with thrashing resonance before a final infusion of spaced-out synth arpeggi that turns the track on its already spinning head.
Later, when stinging guitar work drives the instrumental piece “Filu’e Ferru” sinuously forward, it feels complementary and like a complete inversion. The ngoni twinkles on “Ironie du Sort” and “La Distance des Noix” wind a sense of play into the mix, while the plethora of strings on the closing track “État Normal” seals the album with utter bliss.
Invariably, Ambiance Argile is artful. L’étrangleuse have always been capable of great intensity, but their expanded lineup makes for an even livelier and more dynamic combination of elements. They draw from all sides of the Mediterranean and beyond, creating something new and categorically nebulous in a way that works well. Whether framed as avant-garde or post-rock, the music here is always intriguing. Rich metaphors, sparing and thoughtful instrumentation, and a genre-transcending sense of what music can be come together in vivid packages.
The quartet’s chemistry is strong from start to finish, a constant source of strength that allows for broad experimentation. That is crucial for Ambiance Argile, which is always roaming and never spends too much time heading in any one direction. For listeners seeking the straightforward, it might become a little dizzying. For the wanderers, though, it’s a tremendously rewarding journey.