Mémoires D’Automne – Cliché (Vinyl Album – Trinity/Meidosem Records)
Genre/Influences: New-wave.
Content: There are bands from the 80s and 90s that only a few people got the opportunity to have heard. Mémoires D’Automne is probably one among them. The band was set up by ex-members of The Joy Stream (another rather unknown formation) and joined by other members.
“Cliché” is one of the cassettes originally released by the band in 1996. It brings us back to the gold-old days of pure underground music where it was magic to discover these kinds of bands. Today we have the world-wide facilities of internet so in the end it’s hard to speak about a real underground scene today rather than alternative music.
“Cliché” really deserves to get re-edited and the vinyl format will definitely appeal to fans and music collectors. It’s a pity this band didn’t get a wider recognition because their mix of new- & cold-wave music is reminiscent to legendary 80s formations like Bauhaus, The Virgin Prunes and Siglo XX and it is absolutely great.
You don’t really get the impression this work was originally released during the 90s. It sounds pretty 80s minded, which is mainly due to the typical and irresistible guitar playing and the global, dark atmosphere that hangs over the songs. The deep bass is also a quite recognizable and essential ingredient to speak about successful new-wave music.
The vocals aren’t always that understandable, but here again it reflects a spooky and haunting atmosphere, which is quite 80s as well. The 8 original songs of the cassette have been re-edited so it’s maybe a pity for fans to not get an extra (bonus) song.
Conclusion: “Cliché” is a little new-wave pearl that has been recovered from dust for the pleasure of the fans and numerous people who never heard of this band before, but who like to discover forgotten bands in the genre.
Best songs: “The Triumph Of Time”, “L’Autre”, “Trauma”, “Time Of The End”.
Rate: (Elise Din:7½)Elise Din.
Band: www.facebook.com/memoiresdautomne
Label: www.asso-trinity.org / www.facebook.com/asso.trinity
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I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.
