French musician and producer, Olivier Libaux (Nouvelle Vague) presents ‘The Lost EP’. It is the second volume of songs under Libaux’s project, ‘Uncovered Queens of The Stone Age’. The collection of songs according to the Wall Street Journal “flips that manly air on its head with a dozen of versions of the band’s original songs sung by women”.
This observation is paramount as vocalist Charlotte Savay frames the songs beautifully. Her voice is a beguiling invitation that completely takes apart the original Queens of The Stone Age tracks. In ‘Someone’s In The Wolf’, her performance is perfection, her dreamy falsetto that punctuates the chorus making it a standout track.
‘Sick Sick Sick’ is a playful interpretation of the original song. Libaux has been faithful to the guitar riff which is present in the original track. This version is a glamourous offering that wouldn’t sound out of place on St. Vincent’s ‘Masseduction’ record. It is an upbeat track on the EP, persuading us to head to a dreamy dancefloor somewhere, but like the other tracks, it feels capacious.
Libaux has said how this project is a tribute to the band. Rather than simply emulating the songs, he has produced something which renders the versions meaningful. There are nods to his roots with Nouvelle Vague. The production remains incredibly visual, sparse in its instrumentation but with every sound having a purpose.
Fans of Nouvelle Vague can catch them on tour this autumn and winter. They have many European dates over October and November. I wonder if their cover of New Order’s ‘Bizarre Love Triangle’ will be on the setlist.
Find Olivier Libaux and Uncovered QOTSA online on Facebook, Twitter, SoundCloud, Spotify, and YouTube.
Comments