GutterPutter

Content Warning: Contains references to suicide.

Le Reste is the French indie pop project of an anonymous music artist. Over the course of just under 20 years’ worth of recording albums under the name of Le Aids, they have undergone several stylistic shifts from their debut’s folkish tunes to noise pop and then to indietronica. They are not one to settle down on a single genre and it’s this characteristic that makes them come off as being pretty exciting on their own. To quote their Bandcamp header, “pop music is the disease” and it’s telling in a way that they never seem to settle down on one style.

If there is one common characteristic that unites much of Le Reste’s works, it is that of sarcasm and cynicism. All is Weird and Ridiculous marks the point of the name change away from Le Aids, yet much of the lyrical content should come off as being similar to pre-existing fans. Catchy and a tad bit eclectic in its songwriting, many of the lyrics pertain to depression and even a bit of suicide. It does come off already as a pretty heavy subject matter to cover, yet the way that the artist in question handles it is not as apparent as one would have suspected based on a first few listens. Dissonance takes the lead throughout much of the album and with the piano as the main instrument of choice without the glamours that define chamber or baroque pop, it doesn’t fetishize the feeling of abject misery. Instead, it masks the misanthropy with a surface-layer tinge of optimism which, like Outkast’s ‘Hey Ya!’, beckons several revisits.

A great intro for that is ‘Life’ which, underneath the major piano chords and danceable beat of the snare, sets up life itself as being made of memories that “don’t mean anything to anyone” but to the voice. Such traits crop up as well in ‘Piece Of Shit’ which might be inspired in part by beloved TV dramedy Bojack Horseman with its powerless apologies, faux-Beatlesque ballad song structure, and a pertinent look into self-loathing. ‘One Step At A Time’ even explicitly snarkily asks how the addressee didn’t “kill [themself]” before pushing for a classic mantra to take the long road trip to betterment easy – just one step at a time. Little bits of advice like these are actually pretty helpful in not making life feel as if it’s overwhelming and with the initially misleading instrumentation, it might even come off as being a tad bit comforting. Yet, there is a clear sense of irony there where it feels as if this kind of incremental progress isn’t working as intended. 

Developing further from this sense of depression is nihilism where life not only feels meaningless, but there is even a motivation to wish for no one to experience it. Indeed, ‘By The Window’ wears it on its sleeve as despite the bouncy bassline and jazzy-like piano progression, there is a persistent feeling that the house guests should cease to exist. It is from there that the macabre familiarity to the Unicorns breaks down because at least the latter have shown a lot of whimsical fun on their sole album. The likes of ‘The Cold’ and ‘Going Oblique’ does not shy away from the despair that borders on reaching the point of no return and, as you acclimate to the record more, it just feels heartbreaking. 

Underneath its insincerity surrounding its instrumentals lie something that feels as if it is crying out for help, but you don’t know how bad it is nor can you relate to it. The three other ballads in ‘Your Piano’, ‘Anywhere’, and ‘Saturday’ only underscores this complex feeling and the worst part is its seeming casualness. There are little to no fancy metaphors, not much other extra instrumentation outside of the leading one, and no successful high notes. Much of the song feels like it’s sung by someone in a bar trying to do karaoke, but the singing itself comes off as “bad” yet passionate. If anything, it borders on being confessional and it’s this sensation that is discomforting.

There are bits of experimentation that round up the final third of All is Weird and Ridiculous. ‘Splendid’ offers a more surf rock type of riff throughout its runtime all the while it snarks at the amount of time spent on seemingly valueless hobbies and escapisms. At least personally, the track comes off as being weak for how aside from the chorus, the lyrics’ self-loathing comes off as needlessly mean-spirited due to the colloquial phrasing. ‘The Last Time I Was Happy’ is the penultimate climax in that it sets clear the context of the depression’s source from a romantic relationship that’s ended by the partner’s passing. The way that the synth builds up for the refrain feels cathartic, yet the structure feels dependent on the same development which undermines the anticlimatic reality that death can shatter one’s will to live completely without any warning. This then loops back around to the dissonantly cheerful ending of ‘New World Now’ where, with the jangly pop guitar riff being brought forth, there is now the motivation to keep on living. Even if that comes with a classic bit of self-deprecation regarding the lifestyle. Ouchie.

All is Weird and Ridiculous feels as if it marks a new chapter for Le Reste, yet a good look into much of the discography shows that little might have changed, if at all. Barring a good long hiatus between 2014 and 2022, the artist is largely self-loathing. There is a persistent disdain and lack of pride in being an artist alongside a dislike for living. If, in any case, that the record is inspired by the artist’s personal life, I hope that there is peace to be found. Fans of lyrically dissonant types of music would find this to be a two-sided blade with its melancholia. While many would much rather prefer the more literate wit that exudes from Arcade Fire over Le Reste’s outspoken misery, fans of AJR would otherwise appreciate the frankness.

3.7/5