Charlotte Gainsbourg - IRM Review

IRM

Charlotte Gainsbourg

Release Date: 25th Jan, 2010
Label: Because Music
Genre: Pop

The daughter of singers Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg, you’d think the pressure on Charlotte Gainsbourg’s shoulders might be fairly intense. But this breezy, sometimes dark third album from the talented actress/singer is a gorgeous little affair. A collaboration with Beck (who produced and wrote the majority of tracks on the LP). The title track’s apparent sampling of an MRI scanner adds to the slightly unnerving feel, adding a depth of atmosphere that is a joy when compared to the endless stream of Leona Lewis’s and Alexandra Burke’s.
Other highlights are the doomy ‘Le Chat Du Cafe Des Artistes’, which could almost be a film soundtrack created by electronic duo Air (who collaborated on her second album ‘5:55’) and the dreamy ‘Vanities’. The first single from the album, ‘Heaven Can Wait’ is a knockabout, ramshackle ditty sung with Beck, with the rest of this album surprisingly making Gainsbourg out to be almost a female Luke Haines, seemingly innocent songs spiked with venom and danger.

Reviewed by Pete Muscutt

About The Artist

Charlotte Gainsbourg

Charlotte Gainsbourg (born 21 July 1971 as Charlotte Lucy Gainsburg) is a French actress and singer-songwriter. Gainsbourg was born in London, but was raised in Paris. She is the daughter of British actress and singer Jane Birkin and French actor/singer Serge Gainsbourg. Her maternal grandmother was actress Judy Campbell and her uncle is the screenwriter Andrew Birkin, who directed her in The Cement Garden. Gainsbourg's longtime partner and spouse is the French actor/director Yvan Attal, with whom she has three children, Ben (born on 12 June 1997), Alice (born on 8 November 2002), and Joe (born on 16 July 2011). Gainsbourg made her motion picture debut playing Catherine Deneuve's daughter in the film Paroles et musique (1984). In 1986, Gainsbourg won a César Award for "Most Promising Actress" for L'effrontée, and, in 2000, she won "Best Supporting Actress" for the film La Bûche. Gainsbourg made her musical debut with her father on the song "Lemon Incest" in 1984. Two years later, she released her debut album Charlotte for Ever, which was produced by her father. In 2007, Gainsbourg appeared alongside Gael Garcia Bernal in Michel Gondry's La Science des rêves and as Claire in the Todd Haynes directed Bob Dylan biopic I'm Not There, also contributing a cover of the Dylan song "Just Like a Woman" to the film's soundtrack. In 2006, Gainsbourg released her second album 5:55 to critical acclaim and commercial success, reaching the top spot on the French charts and achieving platinum status in the country. In the UK, the album was moderately successful, reaching #78 (The single The Songs That We Sing only made #129). Gainsbourg has recently released her third studio album, IRM, which was produced by Beck. One of the influential factors in the album's creative process was her time spent filming Antichrist.

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16 Comments

  1. Ne_Electroshock 19 Mar 2012

    I used to think 5:55 was the better record too, but now . . . let's just say that I never would have imagined how much IRM would grow on me. a triumph in my book. [2]

  2. dalmascan 06 Mar 2011

    I used to think 5:55 was the better record too, but now . . . let's just say that I never would have imagined how much IRM would grow on me. a triumph in my book. <3

  3. greene1994 28 Aug 2010

    it's ok; sort of dull to be honest

  4. rUaNcArLo 16 Aug 2010

    Although 5:55 is better, IRM is very good too.

  5. Denitz 22 Apr 2010

    I was very sceptical at first... but this record is amazing!

  6. LieveK 05 Apr 2010

    sounds nice

  7. alkalines 12 Feb 2010

    great collaboration with Beck :) awesome album!

  8. MrHelium 02 Feb 2010

    It's written, played and produced by Beck except for Le Chat. I'd say that's entirely Beck.

  9. Brunoligado 01 Feb 2010

    It's not entirely Beck, as 5:55 wasn't entirely Air.

  10. MrHelium 01 Feb 2010

    Beck's new album. Great.

  11. Babs_05 25 Jan 2010

    Contender for album of the year. Fantastic.

  12. ray-of-light 10 Jan 2010

    Great album!

  13. P_Machado 07 Jan 2010

    :)

  14. android1985 28 Dec 2009

    every bit as good as 5:55. (if not even better!) 2010 is already being a great year, with this, the new Beach House, and the new Massive Attack.

  15. pukirocks 05 Dec 2009

    welcome back!

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