"Now, there's a new contender: "Plastique Couch," the centerpiece of Panorama, the third solo album from singer and bassist Hélène Barbier. It's a woozily entrancing kiss-off where everything sounds slightly askew, as though it were soundtracking a dream sequence in a Michel Gondry film. Wacky back-up vocals dart in and out, different after each chorus, and in the final iteration, they're supplied by Barbier's fluffy mountain dog, Toody, in a series of gruff barks."
"Her lyrics, though cryptic, often evoke ruptured relationships and existential malaise. But across this oddly addictive album of laconic and playful art-punk, she never loses her cool. "Pour toi, le temps n'a rien arrangé," she purs on "Dans l'os"—that is, "For you, time hasn't fixed anything"—but she doesn't sound especially rattled. "Water," the most conventional song here, tempers its icy contempt ("When you die, I won't smile," the singer croons) with chiming guitars that resemble Tom Verlaine at his most expressionistic."
Panorama, the third solo album by Hélène Barbier, centers on the woozily entrancing single "Plastique Couch," which features backing vocals from Barbier's mountain dog, Toody. The music pairs laconic, playful art-punk arrangements with moments of synth sparkle and chiming guitars, producing a slightly askew, dreamlike atmosphere. Lyrics often evoke ruptured relationships and existential malaise while the singer maintains a cool, nonchalant delivery. Songs range from the conventional icy contempt of "Water" to the deceptively jovial synth-splattered "Milquetoast," creating an oddly addictive balance of moodiness and wry detachment throughout the record.
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