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Album Details

• Artist: Fred Avril
• Album: That Horse Must Be Starving
• Label: F Communications
• Year of Release: 2003
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: dscanland on 2003-09-30

The Paris-based Fred Avril is a electro-pop musician that is making some very interesting and future looking pop music. I'm not sure how long he will be able to go by the name "Avril" because of the blossoming fame of Canadian Avril Lavigne but we'll see just how far he gets. As for his futuristic pop music, this should get him some well-deserved recognition. That Horse Must Be Starving has already won this year's Prix Constantin (the French version of the Mercury Prize). What's all the fuss about? Well, the music is left field, that's for sure. The album starts off with the spastic "Double Mind" that sounds like it should be on a Ninja Tune album. Then there are some tracks like "Global Headphones" that remind me of Grandaddy, the same sort of ethereal pop but hummable and immediately interesting. "The Date" is more along the lines of some of the electro-clash sounds we have heard recently from the likes of Ladytron. In his bio they state that Avril is something like a deranged synthesis of Serge Gainsbourg and Aphex Twin. This is indeed a correct analogy of Avril's music. It should be said that he sings in English and it sounds like it is quite easy for him. While That Horse Must Be Starving is not the sort of album that normally gets nominated for a prestigious prize, but it does offer music in a bit of an unconventional manner. It's fresh and that's what those people are looking for.

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