It's one of those artists who didn't shine in their early days, and who have their faults, but whose albums, suddenly, testify to an undeniable artistic height. Such is the case with Benjamin Biolay's latest albums, the most recent of which is Volver. A brief commentary on a great opus.
Volver? An album drawing its atmosphere from Paris, Rome and Buenos Aires, cities very dear to Benjamin Biolay, as he has mentioned in various interviews over the last few years. It's also a real album, as they were still making them in the seventies, since despite its instrumental variety, it remains faithful to a real literary identity - that's the advantage of being the fruit of a singer-songwriter - and to a coherent musical atmosphere, marked by Benjamin's (not so) husky voice and modern artistic production.
Volver, It's also a fine example of the heritability of properties: if the album as a whole is very interesting, then so too are the tracks. We'll mention just three. Starting with the eponymous track, for its music so close to its composer, but also for its lyrics, including those of the chorus: «Life doesn't like to be looked in the eye / It may inadvertently make you think it's two / But it's only one / No rancor, no hard feelings whatsoever.»
Memory, then resonates as an experience shared by us men who have left women behind, and who have regrets. Regrets that are certainly unjustified, and that would be cancelled out by contact with reality; but regrets nonetheless. Even more masterful is the song Happy hour is my favorite, giving way to unprecedented artistic emotion, based on Catherine Deneuve's voice, which has rarely been so much in evidence.
Write to the author: jonas.follonier@leregardlibre.com
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Benjamin Biolay
Volver
Polydor
2017
15 titles
French 
German 
English
5 comments
Hi, I'd just like to point out that with his album LA SUPERBE, Biolay hit the heights, earning him 2 Victoires de la Musique awards in 2010. Palermo Hollywood in 2016 is magnificent, and if you go back to the early albums Rose Kennedy or Trash Yéyé, you'll find some nuggets (he was already shining quite brightly....). I totally agree with you, Happy Hour is insanely intense...yet another track that will be forgotten...except by fans. How sad...
His collaboration with M.I.L.K, “Make my way to Paris”, is an addictive track.
I'd just like to add that, apart from the music, Benjamin Biolay is a lovely guy, so warm and caring with his audience.
Thank you for your article.
Have a nice day;
Liliane
Thank you very much for your comment, Liliane. Yes, «La Superbe» had indeed reached new heights, and for me it's precisely one of the «last albums» (in fact, all those after 2009) - six years ago we could still talk like that, but now that there have been other albums (and what albums!), «La Superbe» is indeed starting to date. 🙂 An excellent Sunday to you, Jonas.
Hello
As a long-time Benjamin Biolay fan, I agree completely with Liliane Gimenez, he's like a wine that you watch mature and blossom over time. I'm always afraid of lacking objectivity when I talk about him, but at his concerts, his kindness and raw sensitivity make him a delightful person.
I came across your site while looking for an explanation for a line in VOLVER: three quarters of an hour ago I was thirty years old, the ass of an orangutan, I have a few hypotheses but I'd like to have your opinion. In any case, thank you for your site and your view of artists that I particularly appreciate.
😁 Sorry, I'm sure I'll come across as both uneducated and ignorant, but I've found several completely false transcriptions of the text concerning these two lines. I had considered that it might be IQ, but I had to look it up (even though I have the album at ....). Shame on me!
Thank you Rémi for your comment, I'm glad you found the answer on your own! There's no shame in it, we often get the lyrics wrong, especially when pronunciation isn't the singer's strongest suit 😉 Sincerely, Jonas