French musical project Nouvelle Vague, headed by musician-producers Marc Collin and Olivier Libaux, is a breath of fresh air.
Nouvelle Vague means 'new wave' in French, and 'bossa nova' in Portuguese. As their name suggests, they take new wave classics from the 1980s and play them in bossa nova style.
The duo's second album, Bande a Part, features covers of anthems such as The Killing Moon (Echo and The Bunnymen), Dance with Me (Lords of the New Church), Ever Fallen in Love (Buzzcocks), Blue Monday (New Order) and Dancing with Myself (Billy Idol).
The complicated electronic music from the originals is stripped down and replaced with acoustic instrumentation.
The duo invited young singers from France, Brazil and New York who, in most cases, had not heard the original versions before, to interpret the songs. The result is a collection of sugary ballads with a breathy and alluring quality.
Of the 14 soothing tracks, the best is probably Don't Go. The original uptempo club hit by Yazoo is turned into a heart-warming mid-tempo rendition, while Alison Moyet's powerhouse vocals are replaced by Gerald Toto's gentle crooning.
