| Folk, Pop |
Naïfs, they are two artists from the region of Le Mans in France, you know, the city of the 24 Hours of Le Mans famous for its car racing circuit and the Yoplait Yogurt factory. And even though we have definitely left France and Europe, we are happy to keep in touch with these unique artists, here the duo Naïfs, composed of guitarist Maxime Vétillard, who has a keen sense of melodies, and Florian Guérant, who is a lyricist and singer deeply in love with words. Their new album, “Nouveaux Souvenirs,” is therefore an alchemy of words and pop/folk music, on which they received assistance from Gaëtan Coutable on the violin, and their friend Tom Tom, who took care of the recording and mixing.
In a time when French music is commercially flat and lacking depth, it is urgent to pay attention to these two fellows, whose work is as artistic as it is political. Their seemingly casual lyrics touch on engagement, and here everything is a matter of contemplation, questioning, and memories, like a series of postcards. The song “Sauvage” is a perfect example of that.
I have always been moved by Florian Guérant’s creations, whom I see as a successor to Louis Chedid in terms of quality and artistic exploration. These guys, whom I saw starting out and refining their work year after year, are often known by those who have attended concerts of their other band, The Orchid, whose lyrics are primarily in English.
The tone is set from the first track, “Si” – if you appreciate beautiful lyrics, you will be served. And it is true that such beautiful work deserves a full album; an EP is too limited for so much talent. These two artists, Florian and Maxime, are simply incredible. I have seen Maxime Vétillard in various settings, and his talent matches his kindness and simplicity. The same goes for Florian. This EP is a must-buy, for the beauty of the sounds, the beauty of the words, and the beauty of art.
And since there are quite a few music enthusiasts here in the USA, we won’t hesitate to play songs from our friends Naïfs on Bayou Blue Radio. This small but impressive EP has been deemed “essential” by the editors of Bayou Blue Radio and Paris-Move.
Thierry De Clemensat
Correspondent in USA
Bayou Blue News – Bayou Blue Radio – Paris-Move
PARIS-MOVE, June 26th 2023
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