Apart from a few very vague and fleeting memories of James during the late 1980s (or perhaps early 1990s; I drank a lot back then), there was no personal basis for comparison for La Petite Mort (The Little Death). It's the 13th album by James -- and my first. Now there's a whole, lengthy back catalog ripe for exploration, because the current release has brought much pleasure in 2014.
Entitled La Petite Mort, the album is an excavation of the mind of frontman Tim Booth, whose lyrics were triggered by a range different events – from living in the US and watching the battle there to prevent gay marriage, to grief following the loss of both his mother and best friend in quick succession ...
... The album's title itself is a French euphemism for the feeling of post-orgasmic unconsciousness and the painted skull adorning the cover is a reference to Mexico's Día de los Muertos celebration, which honors the dead through vibrant, colorful artwork and gift offerings.
Therefore, I knew of the band but had no working knowledge of its music, and I found the music from the new album on YouTube after reading a purely random mention at an English newspaper's web site. Maybe I'm just a sucker for intelligent lyrical ruminations on death and mortality, especially when they take on an elegiac quality. However, La Petite Mort isn't altogether that elegiac, and the references to the Day of the Dead are purely intentional; there's a festive carnival atmosphere weaving through more solemn considerations.
Very unexpected for me, and equally moving, La Petite Mort merits my high accolade of being increasingly rewarding with repeated listens, and is a high point in a remarkably solid year when it comes to The Kind of Music Roger Likes Anyway.
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