Vengeance

Benjamin Biolay has carved himself a niche in the top rank of French popular music, not by genius, but by doing many things well and prolifically: songwriting, arranging, producing, singing and playing a sundry of instruments for established stars from Henri Salvador to Vanessa Paradis. For a new generation, Biolay is a leading light, particularly since his great success of 2009, La Superbe. Vengeance is a respectable if not thrilling follow-up, containing 14 new sets of the same clever, allusive lyrics sung in Biolay’s warm, tuneful Gainsbourgian murmur.

It's virtually impossible not to mention Serge Gainsbourg in the context of Biolay: for the similarities of voice, extensive and creatively cannibalistic musical palette; and a shared predilection for the voices of young chanteuses, a role taken up on Vengeance by Vanessa Paradis. Other guests include fashionable rappers Orelsan and Oxmo Puccino, the latter spicing up ‘Night Shop 2, a contrasting sequel to the memorable first ‘Night Shop, on La Superbe, with a funky trap-drum. Overall, Biolay’s occasional indulgence in a penchant for leaden orchestrations behind odd declamatory texts, and the odd bum melody, don’t prevent Vengeance from being a classy bit of modern pop chanson.