The new Nouvelle Vague album came out in England this week. As most of you will know, the debut saw a dozen classic post-punk / new wave songs given a bossa nova makeover by a handful of sultry "nouvelle scene Français " chanteuses. Far more than a novelty item, it was one of the most brilliantly realised pop records of recent years. Sadly, the follow-up, Bande A Part, never really hits the same heights. Despite apparently being influenced more by the Caribbean than Brazil this time, it sounds almost exactly the same and, as a result, a little predictable. The lack of the remarkable Camille doesn't help matters either. That said, it is still all rather lovely. An eerie Fade To Grey (Visage) and a charming interpretation of The Killing Moon (Echo & The Bunnymen) are two of the highlights.


Nouvelle Vague - The Killing Moon



One of the men behind the group is Olivier Libaux, a superb songwriter himself and a leading light in the NSF. His extremely odd concept album / musical about murder in a small town, L'Héroïne Au Bain, featured contributions from the almighty Lio and her little sister Helena Noguerra. The gorgeous xylophone-led title-track is a duet between the latter and her long-time collaborator Philippe Katerine. Think early Cardigans but French and stuck in a Miss Marple novel.


Olivier Libaux ft. Helena & Katerine - L'Héroïne Au Bain


As a bonus, having just watched Les Bleus beat Helena's native Portugal, i could hardly pass up the chance to post the magnificent Euro 2004. Philippe gives Noguerra a test on star players which she resolutely fails ("Thierry? Kluivert! Beckham? Pavel!") until she gets to Zizou. It was originally posted a long time ago on the awesome Blow-Up Doll.

Katerine & Helena - Euro 2004