One for Jude – Hélice

A nice EP from the French formation One for Jude. Compared to their previous cd ‘Figures’ I find especially that the vocals have been drastically improved. The music can be situated between coldwave, chanson, pop and gothic rock. The music seems to be less folky than in the past, like for instance their contribution on the Sol Invictus tribute album.

I especially like the main track ‘Hélice’, which is present in a studio and a live version (with not too good recording quality). The song starts rather calm, with piano and nice clear vocals. Gradually the music gets fuller, when guitars enter the mix to achieve a swirling effect similar to the early work of Collection d’Arnell Andrea. A really nice track!

‘The punishment of the white rose’ is more of a melodic dark rocksong, perhaps comparable to Ikon. A nice feature is the combination of two voices. ‘L’ébloui’ is a nice melancholic song with pop, wave and chanson elements. It has a 60’s feel for some reason. I always like the sound of an accordeon, which enters the song halfway. An enjoyable EP by One for Jude.

artist: One for Jude
label: La Farandole Egarée
details: 4 tracks