3 out of 5

Label: Un Je-Ne-Sais-Quoi

Produced by: Brice Kartmann (mastered by)

Experimental synth tones, unbounded from song structure but wandering through melodies – charming; haunting; mellow, angsty – Nicolas Cueille’s Curiositi is exactly that, adding some further grounding to tracks via whispered atmospherics of nature sounds and ambience, and… the artist’s voice. That last bit is a sticking point for me.

Musically, I’m on board: occasionally ping-ponging along like a Pierre Bastien mechano, but more often gently (and then very occasionally abrasively) striking open-ended notes in a Moondog fashion – where it’s clear there’s a plan or emotion guiding us, even if it’s not immediately evident – Curiositi covers an impressive amount of emotional ground with its somewhat sparse soundscapes. But Cueille’s vocal contributions on about half the tracks, using a Richard Youngs-y partially sung lilt, distract more than immerse: at points, Nicolas’ repeated phrasings act as a drone component, which seems right; but we’re sitting through some proetic stuff to get there, and I’m simply not clear what it adds in terms of melody or lyrical depth. I don’t mean to suggest it’s wholly unpleasant, just, again, I can’t say I understand the need.

Having half an album without the vocals gives us a great comparison; obviously some of this is just preference, but the experimental compositions here are rich enough on their own to not need the vocal embellishments.