BLUE VIOLET UNLEASH A FLIRTATION OF PROTEST AND PASSION IN BRAND NEW ALBUM ‘FAUX ANIMAUX’
ALBUM REVIEW | BLUE VIOLET – FAUX ANIMAUX by Anne Kelly
2025 may only be 3 weeks in but the new release bar has already been raised pretty high; Lambrini Girls, Pastel and Delights are all amongst our favourites to have dropped their debuts so far, plus we’ve had the return of seasoned favourites like Franz Ferdinand who have managed to regain their position at the top of the charts 21 years after they originally stole the spotlight. But what about those who find themselves under the challenging ‘album 2’ umbrella? Well, step in North London duo, Blue Violet (singer Sarah McGrigor and guitarist Sam Gotle) who hope to keep that bar at a peak with sophomore release Faux Animaux – out January 24th.
‘Faux Animaux’ succeeds 2022’s ‘Late Night Calls’ and provides the duo an ample opportunity to deliver their music to an entire new audience. There is an instant nostalgia surrounding this work. Think early 00’s electro pop goldies (Goldfrapp, La Roux, Scissor Sisters) with the sultry vocal delights of Sia or Kylie at the front to a baroque pop familiarity (Lana Del Rey, Florence and The Machine) and avant-garde charm suitably matched to bands such as Velvet Underground: then cross it with Abba – then you have Blue Violet. Sounds interesting? Well, it is.
The album opens to impress. ‘Sweet Success’ is probably the biggest track on the album and all for good cause. It’s noisy, seductive and floor filling just from the first few bars. Does it sound familiar? Yes, it certainly does have an evident ‘Goldfrapp’ influence intertwined, but does it matter? No. ‘Sweet Success’ will drag you in, regardless if you choose to participate. Plus an opening track with a tease of a theremin? Oh yes please!
The electro-pop vibe is carried strongly throughout the next couple of tracks (‘Imagine Me‘, ‘Survival‘) whilst gradually unravelling towards something more alternative and rock. The vocal qualities on ‘Imagine Me’ are appropriately flirtatious and the track is carried effortlessly by its hook driven chorus. ‘Survival’ again challenges Sarah’s vocals with a new found emotional depth.
With the energetic, electro fired opening, you’d expect that vibe to carry throughout the album, however, by track 4, the ambience has completely shifted. The dreamy ‘Talking To You’ showcases the depth of the duo’s talents who can switch the dynamic so swiftly yet naturally in such a short space of time. ‘The Librarian’ introduces Sam on vocals which melts harmoniously with Sarah’s backing beautifully. Sam’s deep rasp is warming at this stage in the album and compliments the versatility of Blue Violet’s capabilities as a duo. To have made the jump that they have in such a short window is testament to their ambition and flows organically within the track listing.
With such a jump in dynamic just midway in the album, the lull is both refreshing yet borderline tedious. ‘Cold Hearts’ doesn’t really add very much to the overall running of the album and falls victim to the awkward faded outro. Another ambient moment would have potentially lost the listener at this point but thankfully early single release ‘Boogie Shoes’ brings the discotheque back in when it was needed most. The passionate ‘Fire’ continues that catchy momentum, and is one of the finer, desirable moments too.
‘Teeth Out’ is one of my favourite moments of the album. It unveils a deeper, more vulnerable side to the pair without taking itself too seriously. A romantic waltz leads us in to the track but relationship in question is one of self reflection and learning to love yourself. Sarah sings, “My baby took the scissors to her bedroom, She said she cut her hair in protest but nobody noticed she said, If I change the way I wear it, Maybe the mirror will remember it’s just glass in a frame, Watching me walk away.” The ‘baby’ is referring to a younger sense of herself and constantly trying to win the approval of the mirror – literally her own reflection of worth, and then learning to let go and break that relationship off with one with oneself. “Teeth out, ain’t it time we all drew some blood” reflects a sense of transition; whilst it might be painful at first, the change is needed to move forward.
‘Barefoot In The Seine‘ stays on the same wave length as ‘Teeth Out‘ with it’s delicate verses but then switches to a raucous chorus ripping with passion. “You’ve got the right to wear, the same clothes as he does” expels Sarah in the chorus. Her motivations are unfiltered, yet delivered with fine grace. Wrapping up with title track ‘Faux Animaux‘, Blue Violet bow out with a final message. Literally translated as ‘Fake Animals’ in English, Sam says, “The fake animals could be seen as the powers that be, leading us down paths that result in us ignoring our more natural instincts, often making decisions without our permission.” I feel this sentiment runs strong through the album as a final work of art. Flirting with feelings of passion, protest and betrayal from an avant-garde, post-moderist perspective, Faux Animaux dances with mystique producing a curious and enduring second album in it’s wake, worthy of many more spins.
Blue Violet will celebrate the album release on Friday 24th January with an intimate live show and signing in store at Rough Trade Nottingham, before the official launch party show the following day (25th January) at London’s Grace. Finally, in February the duo will head to Scotland for an album mini tour across 3 dates – Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dundee. More details, including tickets for all the shows are available now.
Faux Animaux is released on January 24th by Me and My Records via High Head Recordings.
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