Stromae
Cheese

THE REVIEW

I feel a certain wariness, combined with a sense of nausea, when suddenly a single is blasted repeatedly on any electronic device, so insistently that one quickly moves from love to hate for a song that might have good potential: fortunately, once it's out of fashion, once the long-awaited "calm after the storm" finally arrives, I can listen to the musical product in peace. And here in Italy, it often happens; it occurred with "This Is The Life" by Amy MacDonald (2007), "Rolling In The Deep" by Adele (2011), and also with Stromae, a French-speaking rapper with origins split between Belgium and Rwanda, creator of the overwhelming hit that was "Alors On Danse."

The year was 2009, and I believe that almost nobody, justifiably fed up with the overplayed mega-hit, bothered to give maybe a look (or better yet, a listen, since the cover, to be honest, is quite an eyesore) to his debut album, "Cheese": it's quite a challenge to decide whether the cover or the title chosen for the record is more obscene, would you ever listen to an album called "Cheese"? I did, and even though I consider it essential for an album to have an adequate aesthetic presentation, I must admit that this time appearances are deceiving! Stromae uses very (and sometimes too) simple and elementary sounds to craft a pleasant collection of electro-house tracks, and the formula is more or less always the same: a catchy electronic riff around which the entire song is built and revolves. This is precisely the case with "Alors On Danse," which for the curious samples the mizmar, an Arab musical instrument, in the chorus, or even "Te Quiero," which in structure and sound is practically related to the previous one. In "Summertime," a certain sense of nostalgia takes hold (perhaps because of the now-ended summer?) through typically '90s atmospheres, with keyboards and synths that seem to look to 808 State of "Don Solaris," and finally, the openings of "Bienvenue Chez Moi," "Rail De Musique," and the danceable "Peace Or Violence" are terribly catchy. All this "catchiness" doesn't hold up throughout the entirety of our "Cheese," which ends quietly without any particular surprises: the sounds of this album are probably taken directly from the archive of any music editor, and even Paul (his real name) stated he composed "Alors On Danse" in just a few minutes sitting in front of his computer.

Is that perhaps a problem? Certainly not, firstly because it's his debut album, we'll allow it, and secondly because even with the few tools he has at his disposal Stromae shows great virtues and an excellent pop ear: even if they are simple and linear songs, creating a hit, a melody that sticks in your head after just a few listens, is not a given task. Maximum result with minimum effort, it's precisely the case to say it!