Lemaitre - Fast Lovers EP

Lemaitre
Fast Lovers EP
2019
Spotify

Lemaitre are a bit of a kooky bunch. The remind me heavily of French Horn Rebellion, but like European. They play in some pretty varied genres, leaving you with the sense that each new track could go in any number of directions. This new EP though seems to focus pretty heavily on dreamy pop with an EDM bend to it. "Smoke" begins with this seemingly innocuous song about lost love, but then in the chorus breaks out into this electro-swing bombastic extravaganza. Up until now the Norwegian duo has mostly used features to sing their hooks, but this EP seems to shift the focus to them singing a bit more. It's a shame because the most compelling track is actually sung by Betty Who, "Rocket Girl". They are at their best when they are having fun and make bright and shiny tracks like "Big", when they try to get to artsy or deep in their heads is where the album starts to falter. The record has a lot of big sounds, really big sounds but they just feel big for no reason. They put so much noise into these tracks they feel 15 feet tall, but then you realize there just isn't all that much behind the eyes. Sure it's nice to kind of bliss out and enjoy the electro-swingy-ness that pops in every now and again, but as a whole it just feels like a bad dessert: too sweet and not filling.

That isn't always a bad thing, but you have really have to have some heat if you are going to play around in this venue. Because the music comes out so generic you can't really get all that amped for it. On the final track "Little Things" they totally shift gears and give us this slow song with big instrumentation, but it is too little too late. There just is not a whole lot to latch on to with this record. It feels fine, but not intriguing. Nothing on this record makes you want to come back or find out more. Their most streamed song to date "Closer" is bold and shakes the shit out of you until you pay attention, nothing on this record does the same thing. In going for the middle Lemaitre have missed the mark completely. Let this be a lesson folks, always follow your passion rather than what outside influences tell you WILL be good. It almost never works out that way, and it doesn't work out here. It's a shame.

4.0 out of 10