The Essential Advent Calendar: December 5

The Essential Advent Calendar: December 5 – Superbravo Release ‘La Nuit’ / ‘Chanson Pour Les Enfants L’Hiver’

It’s only December 5 but already we’re excited about Christmas Eve, which is is when the magic happens. In the night, Santa gets into his sleigh and he delivers all the presents, that are eagerly awaited by children all over the world. Paris trio Superbravo have recorded ‘La Nuit’ (The Night), with ‘Chanson Pour Les Enfants l’Hiver’ (‘Song For The Children Of The Winter’) on the B-side.

‘La Nuit’ (The Night), is a playful Christmas song recorded for the 2019 edition of the Snowflakes Christmas Singles Club, as were our previous two days tracks. The magic of Santa who, happy and singing, goes about his job, who will never let those waiting for him, down, as, and that is the less magic side of it, selling has to be done. The song itself sounds like magic, as a fairytale come to life, with strange little creatures making weird sounds, angels harmonising ‘Noel Noel’ and dreamy vocals – as dreamy as only French female vocals can sound. The song on the B-side is another fairytale, ‘Chanson Pour Les Enfants l’Hiver’ (‘Song For The Children Of The Winter’) a poem published by Jacques Prévert in 1946, a few years later set to the music of composer Joseph Korma by the French vocal quartet Les Frères Jacques. In a way, it is the French ‘Frosty The Snowman’, about a not too smart snowman who sees a house with a fire, and wants to warm himself inside. Superbravo add some mystery to the story, as if it has been recorded in a parallel world where this snowman actually existed.

Paris-based Superbravo consists of the trio of Armelle Pioline (former singer of French rock band Holden), Julie Garnier (of art rock / post-punk duo Lalafactory) and Michel Peteau (former guitarist of legendary French psychedelic progrock bands Cheval Fou and Nyl), with vocals shared by Armelle and Julie, while all contribute a wide range of instruments to the music of the group. Superbravo started out in 2016, has released one album (2017’s ‘L’Angle Vivant’ on the Zamora Label) and several singles and EP’s, most recently, earlier this year, a 7″ single on FRACA !!!. In January 2020, the group will release its second album also on FRACA !!!. Described as ‘minimalist in tone while maximalist’ in ideas’, Superbravo takes its inspiration from the glory days of the French chanson, the yéyésound of the 1960s, 1970s psychedelica, minimalist synthpop of the 1980s and the toytronica of the 2000s, mixing it all up to come to something truly unique – challenging musically and intellectually, as is illustrated by their last album ‘L’Angle Vivant’, a reflection on the ecological distasters waiting for us, as a result of the way we are treating our planet.

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