La Vita Nouva

Christine and the Queens

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La Vita Nouva is a short but very consistent pop offering that continues to find it's way in my musical rotation despite being more than a year old at this point. The timeliness of the words delivered on the strong opener People, I've been sad I think perfectly summarize all the feelings we are experiencing during this period of isolation brought on by the pandemic. Most of the song operates on this vocal call and response that is really catchy, especially once all the harmony layers and effects come in. Chris also alternates between legato and staccato while singing, making her voice sound incredibly expressive. It is very reminiscent of Michael Jackson. While on the subject, the title track that ends the EP, has this very iconic pop sound that harkens back to a time when the King and Queen of pop thrived. That's not to say that this is simply a rehashing of the past. Je Disparais Dans Tes Bras is backed by a brooding bass synth that I imagine would work well in today's dance clubs. The only track that I was a little underwhelmed by was Nada who's chorus vocal melody I didn't find as melodically interesting. It's still a pretty decent song but no where near as exciting as the other three songs I've mentioned. At the time it was released, this was the first full project I had listened to by Christine and the Queens and I became quite enthralled with her voice. I'm very much looking forward to her next full-length album.