by Camelia Brennan (@cameliabrennan)
Brush up on your French because Cochonne has blessed us all with their second, and tragically last, release. Their five track 12-inch Emergency was released by Sorry State on October 8, 2021. Mimi Luse dazzles us with her French and English musings, while the band strikes an impressive balance between carnivalesque chaos and classic post-punk.
Cochonne experiments with found noises throughout the 12-inch, sprinkling in ref whistles, dropped spoons and spray cans. There's something new to find with each listen, though it's difficult to make it to the end without putting at least one track on repeat indefinitely. Emergency gives a nod to the energy of the early New York punk scene — uncompromising and confident.
The second track, "Asking for a Friend," invites charisma to join restlessness and desperation. Luse lists off some sinister suggestions for a future rendezvous. Things get a little drearier with "KGB," which begins and ends with the fluttering sounds of a fly, invoking paranoia and dread, while warning "it's a trap". The final track, "Vampire," brings us to the wobbly haunted house section of the carnival, and is accompanied by a delightful video made by Naiara Trivino.
Just like the legendary NY punk scene, I will never get to experience Cochonne live in the flesh. I never even really got to know them before they were gone, yet I'm really going to miss Cochonne.