by Kris Handel (@khandel84)
Or Not Thibault is the first record from Nicole Thibault, formerly of Minimal Chips, with some help from other Aussie underground bands in the likes of Parsnip and The Ocean Party. Thibault relies on spacey and swirling melodies with a bit of a Sarah Records influence in its slightly askew outlook on the world and wide-eyed songwriting. There are bits of bare bones Velvet Underground via Cannanes-esque moments here but also swirling kaleidoscopic forays that flow effortlessly and wildly throughout the record. Thibault’s music has a lot of flourishes that grab your attention in each song and there’s a off the wall character that adds an innocence and brightness to even it’s most stark and darker moments.
Thibault sprinkle moments of child-like wonder into songs like ‘Centrelink” that are driven by tinkling keyboards and vocals that ooh and ahh which help hide the darker undertones of the songwriting. Detailing the emotional turmoil of trying to attain financial support from bureaucracies, here Thibault shows off a deft hand at song craftsmanship with sharp bursts of horns and guitar that swerve, creating an atmosphere that contrasts the emotional heft of the lyrics in a manner that cuts deeply. “Wanting to be Alone” shares this approach but carries a bit of a jaunting melody created with sparse bouncing keyboard chording and strident drum work, once again pierced with horns that creates an alluring beauty and a bit of a musical catharsis. Thibault’s sense of musical playfulness and mood-shifting is quite apparent in the instrumentation that transports everything to a new dimension yet remains cohesive and inspired.
“Drama” is a spiky tune with bleating keys that weave around tight rhythm section work while Thibault’s vocals drawl along orchestrated swells and funk-inflected chunking guitars. There is a bit of atonality at work here in the instrumentation, creating a bit of disorientation and lending the instrumentation a bit of tight-rope walking tension. “Late Expectations” is a bit of a moody work out as well as guitars stroll and plink through popping and walking basslines that lend a slinky groove throughout. The song slithers throughout its gorgeous and all enveloping 3-and-a-half-minute existence, everything coalescing into one of the more exhilarating moments on the record.
Thibault show off their ability to transcend the every day mundane moments into something that explodes with life and enthusiasm. This record refuses to stay in one spot and its shifts in mood and tones are exciting to experience. It is a bit of a rollercoaster but one that is a lot of fun to be on. Thibault’s arrangements are entirely unpredictable from one moment to the next which creates an alluring suspense from song to song that rarely fails to deliver. This record exudes an otherworldliness in everything it aims to achieve and manages to reach its ambitions that are really quite lofty. There are many currents that run through the album, each one pulls you fully into its dream-like and expansive environs that provide a magical escape in an outside world that can be crazy and overwhelming.