Bon Voyage (Melody's Echo Chamber album)

Last updated
Bon Voyage
Melodys-echo-chamber-bon-voyage.png
Studio album by
Released15 June 2018 (2018-06-15)
Genre
Length33:17
Label
Producer Melody Prochet, Fredrik Swahn and Reine Fiske
Melody's Echo Chamber chronology
Melody's Echo Chamber
(2012)
Bon Voyage
(2018)
Emotional Eternal
(2022)
Singles from Bon Voyage
  1. "Shirim"
    Released: 15 October 2014
  2. "Cross My Heart"
    Released: 5 April 2017
  3. "Breathe In, Breathe Out"
    Released: 3 April 2018 [3]
  4. "Desert Horse"
    Released: 15 May 2018 [4]

Bon Voyage is the second studio album by French psychedelic pop band Melody's Echo Chamber. Released on 15 June 2018 on Fat Possum Records, the album is a collaboration between Melody Prochet and members of the Swedish psychedelic rock band Dungen. [5]

Contents

Originally slated to be released a year earlier, in the spring of 2017, Bon Voyage was pushed back due to Prochet suffering a brain aneurysm and broken vertebrae from an unspecified accident, which resulted in her being in the hospital for several months. [6]

Background

Bon Voyage was produced in Solna by Melody Protchet, Reine Fiske of Dungen, and Fredrik Swahn after Protchet's move to nearby Bagarmossen, Sweden. [7] Both Flying Lotus and Tyler, the Creator reached out to Protchet, with Flying Lotus letting her record demos in his Los Angeles studio, but Protchet ultimately ended up moving to Bagarmossen instead to record with Fiske and Swahn. [7]

Plans for a second studio album date back to late 2014, when Melody Prochet released "Shirim". [8] Originally slated to be released in 2017, with "Cross My Heart" being released in April of that year, [9] the album was delayed due to Prochet suffering a "serious accident" earlier in June; [10] her then-upcoming tour was cancelled. [11]

The album was formally announced on 3 April 2018, [3] with lead single "Breathe In, Breathe Out" being released along with an accompanying music video. [12] Prochet wrote that she was "enchanted" to share the music video, describing it as a "little animated fable" and thanking "Daniel Foothead and Team". [13] In a positive review of the track, Larry Fitzmaurice of Pitchfork described the song as having "stop-start melodic breaks" and "a jarring conclusion", and commented that the song is "packed with ideas" and leaves listeners "wondering what comes next". [14] The track was featured as song of the day on Minnesota Public Radio, the Minnesota affiliate of the U.S.-based National Public Radio, on 1 May 2018. [15]

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic? 7.5/10 [16]
Metacritic 77/100 [17]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [18]
The A.V. Club B+ [19]
Chicago Tribune Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [1]
DIY Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [20]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [21]
The Independent Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [22]
Mojo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [2]
NME Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [23]
Pitchfork 7.1/10 [24]
Uncut 9/10 [25]

At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, Bon Voyage received an average score of 77, based on 17 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [17] The album also received a 7.4 aggregate on AnyDecentMusic?. [16] AllMusic writer Tim Sendra wrote that the album demonstrates that the band is "far from […] just a Kevin Parker creation" and that "Prochet's vision is her own, […] strong enough here to fly free of any and all constraints". [18] In a positive review, Chicago Tribune writer Greg Kot praised the album's composition, describing Bon Voyage as "even stranger" than the band's debut, with each of its songs "splashed in psychedelic colors". [1]

While Rachel Aroesti of The Guardian felt that the album's "restless experimentalism" failed to establish "a strong personality to anchor it", [21] Keiron Tyler of Mojo praised the album's experimentation and diversity of influences, [2] with Tyler drawing comparisons to the work of Tropicália artists such as Os Mutantes and Tom Zé and noting the album's "singular appeal". [2]

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Melody Prochet, except "Var Har Du Vart?" by Gustav Ejstes.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Cross My Heart" Melody Prochet, Fredrik Swan, Reine Fiske 6:55
2."Breathe In, Breathe Out"Prochet2:50
3."Desert Horse"Prochet, Swan, Fiske5:15
4."Var har du vart?"Gustav Ejstes1:28
5."Quand les larmes d'un ange font danser la neige"Prochet, Swan, Fiske, Mattias Gustavsson, David Svedmyr, Johan Holmegard, Nicholas Allbrook7:07
6."Visions of Someone Special, on a Wall of Reflections"Prochet, Swan, Fiske4:55
7."Shirim"Prochet4:47
Total length:33:17

Personnel

All personnel credits adapted from album liner notes

Release history

RegionDateLabelFormat(s)Catalog
United Kingdom15 June 2018 Domino CDWIG427 [26]
LP
United States15 June 2018 Fat Possum [27] CD16541 [28]
LP16542 [28]
Digital download16543 [28]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Trux</span> American alternative rock band

Royal Trux was an American alternative rock band active from 1987 to 2001, reuniting in 2015 but disbanded once again in 2019. It was founded by Neil Hagerty and Jennifer Herrema (vocals).

<i>Ta det lugnt</i> 2004 studio album by Dungen

Ta det lugnt is the third album by the Swedish psychedelic rock group Dungen. It was produced by Gustav Ejstes, the lead singer and instrumentalist of the band. Ejstes also recorded and mixed the album.

<i>Dungen</i> (album) 2001 studio album by Dungen

Dungen is the first album by the Swedish psychedelic rock group Dungen.

<i>4</i> (Dungen album) 2008 studio album by Dungen

4 is the fifth album by the Swedish psychedelic rock group Dungen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wavves</span> American rock band

Wavves is an American rock band based in San Diego, California. Formed in 2008 by singer-songwriter Nathan Williams, the band also features Alex Gates, Stephen Pope and Ross Traver.

<i>Skit i allt</i> 2010 studio album by Dungen

Skit i allt is the sixth album by the Swedish psychedelic rock group Dungen. The title literally means "Screw it all" in Swedish.

<i>BlackenedWhite</i> 2010 hip hop studio album by MellowHype

BlackenedWhite is the debut studio album by Odd Future sub-group MellowHype. Production for the album was handled by Left Brain. It was made available for free download October 31, 2010, and re-released on July 12, 2011, through Fat Possum Records.

<i>Goblin</i> (album) 2011 studio album by Tyler, the Creator

Goblin is the debut studio album by American rapper Tyler, the Creator. It was released on May 10, 2011, by XL Recordings. Goblin continues Tyler's dialogues with his fictional therapist Dr. TC, first heard on his 2009 mixtape, Bastard. The album's songs were produced almost entirely by Tyler himself, along with a contribution from fellow Odd Future member Left Brain. The album features guest appearances from Odd Future members Frank Ocean, Hodgy Beats, Jasper Dolphin, Taco, Domo Genesis, Mike G and Syd.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trevor Powers</span> American musician

Trevor Powers is an American musician from Boise, Idaho. Powers was initially active as Youth Lagoon from 2010 to 2016, after which he announced he was retiring the project. He returned to music with a new self-titled project in May 2018. In 2022 he took Youth Lagoon out of retirement with the announcement of a new album. Powers' music has been described as electronic and experimental with elements of pop.

<i>Heaven</i> (The Walkmen album) 2012 studio album by The Walkmen

Heaven is the sixth and final studio album by American indie rock band The Walkmen, released on May 29, 2012, on Fat Possum Records and Bella Union.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Parker (musician)</span> Australian musician (born 1986)

Kevin Richard Parker is an Australian singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer, best known for his musical project Tame Impala, for which he writes, performs, records, and produces the music. Parker has released four Tame Impala albums: Innerspeaker (2010), Lonerism (2012), Currents (2015), and The Slow Rush (2020). He has won 13 ARIA Music Awards, two APRA Awards, and a Brit Award, and has received four Grammy Award nominations.

<i>Wondrous Bughouse</i> 2013 studio album by Youth Lagoon

Wondrous Bughouse is the second album by Youth Lagoon, the stage name of American musician Trevor Powers. The album was released on March 5, 2013 on the independent record label Fat Possum Records. It peaked at No. 76 on the Billboard 200, No. 12 on the Independent Albums chart and No. 26 on the Top Rock Albums chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melody's Echo Chamber</span> French musical project

Melody's Echo Chamber is the main project of French musician Melody Prochet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melody Prochet</span> French singer (born 1987)

Melody Prochet is a French musician. She is the lead singer and songwriter of her musical project Melody's Echo Chamber. Prochet's musical style has been described as dream pop, space rock, psychedelic rock, and shoegaze. Music critics have compared her work with that of Stereolab, Broadcast, and Cocteau Twins.

<i>Melodys Echo Chamber</i> (album)

Melody's Echo Chamber is the eponymous debut studio album by French musician Melody Prochet, under her project name Melody's Echo Chamber. It was released on 25 September 2012 on Weird World Record Co and Fat Possum Records. It received generally favorable reviews from critics who praised Prochet's efforts for her debut and also Kevin Parker's role in production. She supported the album's release with a tour that followed in North America, France and the United Kingdom and all of Europe.

<i>Allas Sak</i> 2015 studio album by Dungen

Allas Sak is the seventh album by the Swedish psychedelic rock group Dungen. The title loosely translates into English as "everyone's thing" or maybe "anyone's thing".

Dehd is an American three-piece indie rock band from Chicago formed in 2015. The band consists of members Emily Kempf, Jason Balla, and Eric McGrady.

<i>Hideaway</i> (Wavves album) 2021 studio album by Wavves

Hideaway is an album by Wavves released on the record label Fat Possum Records on July 16, 2021. This was the band's first album since You're Welcome was released four years earlier. The band worked with producer Dave Sitek, and the album's themes were inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic.

<i>Everything Was Beautiful</i> 2022 studio album by Spiritualized

Everything Was Beautiful is the ninth studio album by Spiritualized, released under Fat Possum Records on April 22, 2022. The album contains influences from psychedelic music, gospel music, and classic rock.

<i>Emotional Eternal</i> 2022 studio album by Melodys Echo Chamber

Emotional Eternal is the third studio album by French psychedelic pop band Melody's Echo Chamber. It was released on 29 April 2022 on Domino Records.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Kot, Greg (15 June 2018). "Review: Melody's Echo Chamber doubles down on psychedelic pop on 'Bon Voyage'". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Tyler, Keiron (July 2018). "Melody's Echo Chamber: Bon Voyage". Mojo (296): 95.
  3. 1 2 Maicki, Salvatore (3 April 2018). "Melody's Echo Chamber announces sophomore album, shares "Breathe In, Breathe Out"". Fader. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  4. "Melody's Echo Chamber - "Desert Horse"". Stereogum. 15 May 2018. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  5. "THE RETURN OF MELODY'S ECHO CHAMBER. 'BON VOYAGE' IN STORES JUNE 15". Fat Possum Records. 3 April 2018. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  6. Claymore, Gabriela (28 June 2017). "Venue Shares Statement About Melody's Echo Chamber Injury [UPDATED]". Stereogum. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  7. 1 2 Snapes, Laura (2018-07-13). "Melody's Echo Chamber: 'My lyrics have this long echo in my reality'". The Guardian . ISSN   0261-3077. Archived from the original on 2022-08-23. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
  8. "Melody's Echo Chamber returns with dreamy new single "Shirim" — listen". Consequenceofsound.net. 15 October 2014. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  9. "Melody's Echo Chamber Returns With the Sprawling "Cross My Heart"".
  10. Yoo, Noah (27 June 2017). "Melody's Echo Chamber Cancels Tour Due to "Serious Accident"". Pitchfork . Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  11. Britton, Luke Morgan (27 June 2017). "Melody's Echo Chamber cancels tour after suffering 'serious accident'". NME . Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  12. Breiham, Tom (3 April 2018). "Melody's Echo Chamber – "Breathe In, Breathe Out" Video". Stereogum . Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  13. Trendell, Andrew (3 April 2018). "Melody's Echo Chamber returns with new album 'Bon Voyage' and single 'Breathe In, Breathe Out'". NME . Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  14. Fitzmaurice, Larry (3 April 2018). ""Breathe In, Breathe Out" by Melody's Echo Chamber Review". Pitchfork . Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  15. "Melody's Echo Chamber - Breathe In, Breathe Out". The Current. Minnesota Public Radio. 1 May 2018. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  16. 1 2 "Bon Voyage by Melody's Echo Chamber reviews". AnyDecentMusic? . Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  17. 1 2 "Bon Voyage by Melody's Echo Chamber Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic . Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  18. 1 2 Sendra, Tim. "Bon Voyage – Melody's Echo Chamber". AllMusic . Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  19. Waite, Kelsey J. (15 June 2018). "Melody's Echo Chamber, Bon Voyage". The A.V. Club . Retrieved 15 July 2018.
  20. Bentley, James (15 June 2018). "Melody's Echo Chamber – Bon Voyage". DIY . Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  21. 1 2 Aroesti, Rachel (15 June 2018). "Melody's Echo Chamber: Bon Voyage review – a psych-pop hotchpotch". The Guardian . Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  22. Kaplan, Ilana; Goggins, Joe (13 June 2018). "Christina Aguilera Liberation review: New album is everything diehard fans could want, but there are misses among the hits". The Independent . Retrieved 15 July 2018.
  23. Milton, Jamie (20 June 2018). "Melody's Echo Chamber – 'Bon Voyage' review". NME . Retrieved 16 December 2019.
  24. Cohen, Ian (20 June 2018). "Melody's Echo Chambe: Bon Voyage". Pitchfork . Retrieved 26 June 2018.
  25. Pinnock, Tom (July 2018). "Melody's Echo Chamber: Bon Voyage". Uncut (254): 22.
  26. "Domino - Albums - Bon Voyage". Domino Records. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
  27. "Bon Voyage - Fat Possum Records". Fat Possum Records. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
  28. 1 2 3 "Bon Voyage - Releases". Allmusic. Retrieved 23 June 2018.