The era
Rahim Redcar
began with
Redcar les adorables étoiles
was all about defying musical expectations and creating a musical world distinct from any of the project's previous work.
Redcar
described the music from this period as "an operatic gesture." That's a perfect description of
Paranoïa, Angels, True Love
, an album even more ambitious and overtly theatrical than its predecessor. Like
, it borrows from the mythical, spiritual storytelling of
Tony Kushner
's Angels in America, but its explorations of loss (
was grieving the loss of his mother as well as a breakup while making the album) as a catalyst for becoming feel notably different. Where
swirled together several different styles,
Paranoïa
concentrates on spacious songs with lengthy passages that seem equally primed for dance numbers or deep contemplation.
's masterful ballads make up the introspective heart of the album and provide many of its highlights. Set to a hypnotic trip-hop beat, "Tears Can Be So Soft" is a quietly cathartic testament to sitting with grief; "To Be Honest" and "A Day in the Water" are quintessential examples of
's luminous synth pop; and the exquisite yearning of "Flowery Days" uses little more than piano and bass to brilliant effect. On moments like these,
feels much more naked and lonely than
, but it's one of
's most collaborative works. He previously worked with rapper
070 Shake
on the single "Body," and their reunion on "True Love" is a standout, blending heartache and sensuality with the effortless warmth that has been one of
's greatest strengths since
Chaleur Humaine
.
uses another brilliant pop artist in a decidedly non-pop way:
Madonna
appears as an angelic artificial intelligence and gives convincingly ethereal spoken-word performances when she visits
during his darkest moments ("Angels Crying in My Bed," "I Met an Angel") and epiphanies (the triumphant resolution of "Lick the Light Out"). These aren't the only instances where
takes risks on
. "Track 10" is a striking 11-minute crucible for the album's sorrow, anger, desire, and joy, with a seismic sub-bass driving its transformative ritual of dance; though the choral noise-rock of "He's Been Shining for Ever, Your Son" and the snarling, prowling "Let Me Touch You Once" (another
collaboration) are shorter, they're just as uncompromising; on the whole, there's a lot of challenging and emotionally powerful music here for fans to appreciate. ~ Heather Phares