Cold-wave trio JE T'AIME embrace the futility of life to better dance its melancholy in a romantic gesture that takes 80s nostalgia and breathes new energy into it. The universe of JE T'AIME's new album, Useless Boy, is as much an intimate elegy of broken dreams and invisible walls as it is a cry of rebellion, a call to dance bravely in the face of despair... To be useless until you die in a dull world where everything is in vain? With pleasure, but not without panache!
So, JE T’AIME returns with Useless Boy, a dark and magnetic album that delves into the deepest turmoil of the human soul. Across ten powerful and introspective tracks, the trio (reconfigured with the arrival of Little Bastard) explores universal themes of solitude, despair, and the search for meaning.
Nightcrawler is a hypnotic erotic track (and is not a gendered song, let's just say that everyone will find what they want in it) in which the protagonist is consumed by an intense and dangerous passion. The lyrics evoke poignant solitude, burning desire and a mysterious figure embodying an erotic ‘nightbird’. The vocal got a special treatment, sounding more like Bronski Beat. It’s clearly an 8’0s inspired song with that perfect tempo and dito beats! Somehow it feels like it’s too short (always a good sign if you want more of it).
Unbroken Sleep explores the struggle against a burdensome past, symbolised by a frantic race to escape the ghosts of past mistakes. The protagonist desperately seeks rest and inner peace after paying for his mistakes. The lyrics fit the tempo: I can feel the story going through the music! The guitar play is also really great! Feel the desperation, feel the pain, the burden …
The Dreams Cease evokes the desperate quest for perfection, whether through music or dreams, only to be met with emptiness and loneliness. Listen to the great vocals: filled with emotions, whilst the up-tempo music is really loud and has pumping beats.
Useless Boy depicts the inner distress of a boy who feels useless and lost, desperately searching for meaning in his life. The echoes of the past and the emptiness of his existence trap him in a cycle of doubt and loneliness. The song starts slowly, with a spooky sound, soon joined by a great bass guitar and a nice lead guitar. I hear nice female backings (but hence: the band already fooled me in the past using a trick to make male vocals sound like female ones, so I’m gonna leave it here like it is). The sadness takes over and renders the depressive feelings. I think I hear 3 different vocals here (but after checking it with the band I get this answer: on the whole album, it's my voice. No special effects. I'm just lucky enough to be able to go up high and use several types of voice easily). I also hear some trip hop parts.
And this what I wrote about it when I got the clip and reviewed it in 2024: “The song slowly builds up, with female vocals that sound very angelic (but in fact it's the reverb on dBoy's voice). After a while I also hear dBoy's real voice, followed by Crazy Z. It's a very melancholic and sweet song (thanks to the female backings). I hear a bit of an influence from David Bowie's Earthling album (the electronical part). I'm looking forward to hear more from them!”
Dead Leaves explores the theme of loss and forgetting. The evocation of fallen leaves and the struggle against their disappearance reflect a poignant nostalgia for the fragility of memory. I adore the electronic parts and the vocals. Somehow I feel like dancing and trying to fly away whilst using my arms like wings. The guitar play is succulent and maybe if The Cure ever needs a new guitar play, well they just have to ask Crazy-Z!
Whispers [Lost in the Echoes] describes sleep paralysis, the agonising sensation of being trapped in a nightmare, where reality and dreams merge. Has a high tempo and really knocks it off. The guitar play makes the 80’s come back whilst the main vocals are really perfect. The bass guitar is excellent!
Silent Monsters between fear, powerlessness in the face of external chaos and the inexorable call of death, the song explores the pain of a soul worn down by time. Here I hear clearly the drums, the bass and the lead guitar on fire! It’s a superb up-tempo track!
Wrong Fold describes a lost boy, without ambition or purpose, wandering in a world that goes on without him. His existence seems marked by failure and oblivion, with shattered dreams and a life without direction. The song expresses the sadness of an extinguished youth, reduced to a ‘mistake’ in an indifferent system. The song starts with an acoustic guitar and a synth. The vocals push up the sadness and desperation. I can almost hear a tear falling. The electronic restart makes me think a bit about the more recent of Nine Inch Nails.
Letter From Hell is a song written in the form of a letter from a prisoner who describes his daily life in hell with a strange resignation. Despite the sadness of his situation, he seeks to reassure the recipient, almost hinting that he might enjoy hell too. Is within this album with ten jewels the least shining jewel.
Stories Not Told explores the fear of death and the inevitable decline of the body in the face of old age. Each passing day accentuates this anguish. The song evokes a slow, inexorable descent towards the end, where illness and time take their toll on the soul. It’s a song about something we all might have to experience and frankly: I’m 51 and I can see I’m lesser good then 10 years ago: my body is also in decay but I call it aging, however I start to see more and more people around me die (a bit the story of the newest The Cure album). It’s almost a The Cure track and has at least the same high level of perfection within its darkness. It’s a great end track!
Fans of 80’s cold wave rock will once again adore this French band and making sure the band’s name is exactly what you think about them! It’s a very dark album with a lot of emotions: all mixed up with the perfect music that enforces the feelings (in a perfect mix). The album comes in a time where a lot of bands are popping up withing the same genre and I can say: they are simply the best! Getting towards the level of JE T’AIME should be the ultimate dream for a lot of bands swimming in the same deep waters! Right, said Fred!
Check our recent interview:
SNOOZECONTROL - JE T'AIME talks about the new album!
reviews:
SNOOZECONTROL - Je T’aime – Passive (Manic Depressions Records)
SNOOZECONTROL - Je T’aime – Agressive (Manic Depressions Records)
SNOOZECONTROL - Je T’aime – Kiss The Boys EP
SNOOZECONTROL - JE T'AIME Deluxe - Remastered 2022 (Manic Depressions Records)
And for the Flemisch speaking fans a review from a gig in Belgium:
