EYE Jeannette - (Braque cover) (2023)
In his 2010 book Retromania: Pop Culture's Addiction to Its Own Past, music journalist and author Simon Reynolds argues that the cultural production of the 21st century is marked by an unprecedented nostalgia, constantly recycling past styles, trends and ideas.
So, contemporary pop music is obsessed with its own history? Well, fair enough. Point taken. But Reynolds goes one step further claiming that this fixation with the past is hindering creativity and innovation, leading to cultural stagnation with new works increasingly being merely derivative rather than original.
Let’s have a look at an example: One could argue that “Jeannette” from the 2023 LP Honolulu Saigon by French musician Laurène Exposito, also known as EYE, falls into that trap. The intimate yet cheeky song is heavily inspired by minimal wave and sounds as retro as it gets. This is partly because the track is a cover of French musician and producer Jérôme Ghigonis’ song of the same name, released under his Braque moniker back in 1981. Exposito’s setup doesn’t help dispel the retro feeling either, as it probably is similar to what musicians used 40 years ago.
But EYE’s “Jeannette”, which is today's song by the way, feels beautifully embedded in the present moment and should be seen as a continuation of minimal wave rather than just nostalgic regurgitation. It might not be the most innovative piece, but it’s definitely not the product of a stagnant imagination. But maybe you should make up your mind yourself. Have a listen:
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