Dans ta Face. Tracks from the new six-song EP, ‘BONJOUR’, by Francophone Montrealeans, DVTR, certainly are in your face. Infused with Punk energy, high bpm, unrelenting basslines and similarly unceasing distorted guitar lines, the group’s empowering use of their native French tongue propel vocal melodies into providing a hard-nosed edge. Francophone bands with high-energy Punk undertones, Juniore and La Femme to name just two, have propped up in the alternative and punk scene as of late. But all would struggle to rival the energy and the definitive Punk attitude of ‘BONJOUR’ and DVTR.
This six-track EP wastes no time in getting started, with the band’s title track ‘DVTR’ opening proceedings and bursting out of the gate with a pulsating bassline, comparable only to the likes of IDLES and Fontaines D.C. whose attitudes have been fully infused into the music scene on our side of the Atlantic. ‘BONJOUR’ offers a fresh take on this sound. Jean-Cimon’s opening vocal melody in title track ‘DVTR’ screams coolness - a laid-back attitude on top of high-energy Drum and Bass. A range of guitar tones from softer rhythmic chords through to overdriven tremolo lead lines and the undeniably Punk vocal delivery of Laurence-Gimoux in the chorus and later verses, announce the opening of ‘BONJOUR’.
The established energy fades into the second track, ‘Vasectomia’, which is similarly fronted by a driven guitar riff and vocals from Laurence-Gimoux, and doesn’t take long to erupt into a fully-fledged Punk anthem. It isn’t so straight forward, though. The vocals from Jean-Cimon in ‘Vasectomia’ offer an almost Trance-like Psychedelic feel in parts and there are notable composition elements that cement the original attitude of the Francophone Canadians.
Third single, ‘Crematorium’, deviates slightly. Softer chord progressions allow emphasis to be placed on the interacting vocals of Jean-Cimon and Laurence-Gimoux. Although, guitar lines do characteristically gain intensity as the track prolongs, and a short instrumental at the track’s midpoint does give space for the group to demonstrate their original approach to crafting melodies. A Punk ballad to serve as the midpoint of the EP? Maybe.
The initial dark House feel of the opening drum pattern to ‘Sound $ex Change’ transforms into a tribal pattern, emphasised by Trance influenced vocal lines that we were given glimpses of in ‘Vasectomia’. The group’s unique guitar sound is brought to the forefront in the latter stages of the song thanks to a thick distortion octave lead line that builds tension before a retrograde ending returns almost to the dark House feel of the intro, and brings us neatly into the short track ‘Anu Cuni’. Though only 35 seconds, the short number is a burst of energy that brings listeners into the final track of ‘BONJOUR’.
Superseding the EP’s opening energy, ‘Rhum coke MD’ pushes the pace. Guitars have had their gain controls knocked to 11, and this driven tone is embellished with intricate but off-the-cuff style licks, on top of which sits the distorted vocals of both Jean-Cimon and Laurence-Gimoux.
The chorus crashes into a Punk soundscape that is ruled by a furious combination of incessant rhythm guitar and a monotonous vocal melody. The extended outro emphasises the group’s identifiable Punk tone, but a resurgence of the intricate lead lines gives a different flavour to ‘Rhum coke MD’ - one that is playful towards genre conventions. In this closing section to the EP, DVTR blend influences from Jazz and Khruangbin-style oriental lead guitar, all within a Punk atmosphere. Calling to an end the 6-track ‘BONJOUR’ in complex fashion; arising suspicion as to what other sonic avenues DVTR will plow through in 2024.
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