Valencia’s Le Garçon Rêvé released their third album “Give Your Soul a Chance” on the 3rd June. The band is composed of duo John Martinez (vocals) and Diego Summo (guitar), who continue their musical journey after the dissolution of their previous band Megaphone Ou La Mort. The alternative rock group premiered with their first album, “Songs for Mediocre Men Vol. 1”, in 2014. They have not released an album since 2017, when “Eat Your Make Up” was released. Describing themselves as a ‘rock pop duo not immediately apparently misfits’, their third album merges their staple elegance and abrasiveness with a more electronic dance feel. Le Garçon Rêvé’s global musical influences are also tangible, in particular British alternative rock bands, whose styles can be paralleled to their own.
The album is kicked off by the first single ‘Turia River Killed the Radio Star’. This introductory tune merges rock with an electronic beat in a purely instrumental track. It is the only track on the album to not feature any vocals, contrasted by the second single ‘The Boy with the Victorian Gun’. This one has more of an alternative rock feel to it, drawing in some punk elements. Both tracks, alongside ‘The Love Seat’, are accompanied by a music video shot by Valencian filmmaker Miguel Angel Mengo Lloret. Lloret, frequent collaborator of Le Garçon Rêvé, is also in the process of filming a documentary detailing the pair’s musical journey from band to duo.
Other songs on the album include ‘Darling’, which has a slightly darker, melancholic tone. ‘Kabuki Song’ seems to incorporate influences from Eastern music, as indicated by its name. ‘Kabuki’ is a classical form of Japanese dance-drama incorporating music, dance and mime. ‘Nampa Girl’ and ‘The Glamour Chase’ are two more chilled songs on the album, offering an alternative to the more electronic-heavy songs.
What I took from listening to the album is that every track has its own individual feel. Its three Valencian-based music videos do an excellent job of successfully differentiating this – from ‘The Love Seat’’s sensual nature reflected through shots of the marine, and ‘The Boy with the Victorian Gun’’s grunge vibes shot on top of a building in Tres Forques. “Give Your Soul a Chance” is a multicultural album merging Valencian visuals with international rock sounds, and is not one to miss.
In an exclusive interview, singer and songwriter John Martinez shared his thoughts with ‘24/7 Valencia’ about the album, track by track:
TURIA RIVER KILLED THE RADIO STAR… Instrumental to kick off a fairly electronic record. The “local Brian Eno”, Xavi Santillana, collaborates on analogue synths. Check out the dancer: https://youtu.be/Pki4M58i6Vw
THE BOY WITH THE VICTORIAN GUN… The obvious first single. Aiming at a Doherty / Morrissey vibe with the title and Bowie / Suede in the chorus. Key lyric: “The past is a foreign country.”
DARLING… Our forthcoming single, actually. The bloody record is full of hits!!! Key lyric: “Absinthe for the skin parade.”
THE LOVE SEAT… The most sensual song in our catalogue. Key lyric: “Honey, the summer is here for us.”
KABUKI SONG… An ever recurring theme throughout my work: alienation in the city. Key lyric: “Every single one of your friends is depressed.”
NAMPA GIRL …Lyric came to me after reading Jeffrey Lee Pierce’s book, ‘Go Tell the Mountain’. Key lyric: “The face of lust is always the face of total need.”
EROS IN DEMAND… Primal Scream meets Beck. Key lyric: “Give your soul a chance.”
THE GLAMOUR CHASE… A ballad for Billy Mackenzie. Key lyric: “Bruised romances, tattered scarves.”
THE DREAMER OF THE ESTATE… The most modern and urban sounding tune on the record. Reminiscing about some of my London years in the 90s. Key lyric: “Worries are for believers.”
Report by Anusha Vasudeva
Article copyright ‘24/7 Valencia’
More info: https://legarconreve.bandcamp.com/
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