Still Night, Still Light

Au Revoir Simone are three beautiful girls who make gorgeous, dreamy electro-pop: what could possibly go wrong? Indeed, this year more than ever, when girls playing electro-pop are the new rock 'n' roll, they should have a hot ticket to the big time.  But, having listened to their third album Still Night, Still Light, one can't help the feeling that they'll be left trailing the likes of La Roux and Little Boots. Something has, indeed gone wrong – their schtick has become tired and one-dimensional. 

Au Revoir Simone scored high points with their last release, the very lovely The Bird of Music. But here they're treading water. There's nothing that wouldn't have fitted snugly onto Bird. It's one fluttery, feather-light pop song after another. 'Another Likely Story' makes for a strong opener, and Shadows continues the promising start, but thereafter the album drifts in and out of focus. There are a handful of songs roughly as catchy as 'Sad Song' but no centrepiece; there’s nothing as likely to really embed itself in your head as (deep breath) 'A Violent yet Flammable World'. There's plenty of prettiness, but taken as a whole, it's all rather forgettable, and at this stage, a bit formulaic. 

All told, this is a band that you'd like to give a little push: force them to write something outside their comfort zone, get them to up the tempo or really go for the pop jugular or the dancefloor. Without a good heave, you're left thinking that when you're reviewing them in 20 years time they'll still be in their own little corner of the world, playing the same old oh-so-gentle electro-pop.