Grimes
Art Angels

THE REVIEW

There are artists who constitute a sort of middle ground. In that Manichean division between good and evil (mainstream – alternative; cool druggy stuff – dance floor toxic stuff). Artists like Grimes bear the brunt of this. More than a year later, it's a bit odd not to find a review on Debaser, but this also confirms, if there was ever any doubt, that when an artist divides people, talking or writing about them is always a double-edged sword.

Writing about her, in some reviews, the Canadian artist is often compared to Enya or Bjork: two musicians for whom I don’t feel like spending smiley emojis with hearts coming out of their mouth.

Now, I don't know what these two women have to do with the young Canadian: Enya is a multi-instrumentalist and Bjork is a badass artist who spins cubes on a Reactable that (luckily) faded into the background. As for Enya, I only link her to an episode of South Park when Stan's grandfather tries to explain the concept of aging to his grandson by locking the child in a dark room with Enya parody music blasting.

As for Grimes, describing her as someone who writes lyrics, music, arranges her pieces, and directs adorable videos would be superficial; it would seem like an ad for a De Longhi oven that does a lot of things, not just toast and pizzas.

There are many artists who write, arrange, shoot videos, and give the mixer a wipe down with window cleaner before going home. The fact is that this young woman, not yet thirty, does it well. And we must take note.

It is no coincidence that the historic 4AD follows and distributes her and 4AD, as far as I'm concerned, is a true guarantee seal in this music industry that seems to want to reach new heights.

Art Angels is one of the most interesting albums in recent years, and I gladly leave aside the technical aspects, the meticulous care of every single detail, the intelligent way in which form and substance blend, that being so close to the mainstream yet in an intelligent and responsible way.

I decided to buy the vinyl which is truly a delight, with some track by track prints inside – surely – drawn by her, an artwork that if it weren't accompanying a truly well-executed album, might even seem presumptuous. What I notice when playing Art Angels is that it manages to please everyone: from the easy-listening consumers to the more demanding ears. When you reach this balance – and it's not easy at all – you are on the right path.

It means plunging hands and soul into a best of everything an artist has learned and listened to and making it available to everyone, no one excluded. Here, you feel knowledge, aesthetics, respect for the small and grand cornerstones of the more experimental musical literature but also the dictates of pop, all brought together in an accessible and pleasant mood. But above all intelligent.

Too bad, really too bad, that in this middle ground, there isn’t room to kick prejudice in the ass.