12/04/2015
Rozenn Talec & Yannig Noguet/Gali Galant/Coop Breizh/2015
“From the gavotte to the Parisian cabaret, the duo creates a universe both jazzy and traditional”.
Singer Rozenn Talec and accordionist Yannig Noguet have developed a unique style and repertoire since their first musical outings in 2010. The first recording, Mouezh an Diaoul (The Voice of the Devil – 2013) was rewarded with the jury and young artist prizes of the “Grand prix du Record Produced in Brittany” for 2014. That recording showcased a musical style straddling the line between, as the Coop Breizh marketing blurb above states, Parisian cabaret and traditional Breton material - but all sung in Breton. Mouezh an Diaoul was a solid, respectable first effort and if I did not hit the ‘replay’ list numerous times, it was mostly because my very particular taste in Breton music is focused a bit off to one side of what this duo was doing. Now two years later there is this new recording.
Gali Gallant follows the path laid down by the first recording without deviation, but with more intricacy and confidence, specifically from Talec, whose voice has leveled up in richness and intonation. While Noguet, the veteran of bands such as Gwenfol, has always demonstrated an incredible technical prowess, on the first recording there was, to my ear, still a tentative hint of Talec finding her footing. That is all resolved now and the vocal parts here shine with elegant confidence and expression. The bulk of the lyrics are drawn from traditional sources, while Noguet composed the majority of the music.
With Gali Galant, as with the previous recording, there are no gimmicks, no wild sound effects, just the honest result of two musicians performing straightforwardly in duo, which of course I really like and admire. Gali Galant is also an innovative dive into the Breton language, approached here more as a living, modern means of communicating artistic truth and not as an heirloom mustily wrapped in layers of tradition.
-Fañch
