Canter Bridge

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I stumbled upon Florent Pagny’s voice on a drive through France in 1997 and quickly picked up Savoir Aimer, produced in that same year. I still listen with appreciation.

Pagny is at his best when a certain darkness, a certain suffering interpenetrates his music. The title track does so with its juxtaposition of savoir aimer // savoir sufrir and the equally important shift from acoustical to full-blown (including orchestra) instrumentation from one beat to the next.

‘Dors’ and ‘Loin de toi’ are similar in this regard. Both carry real throw weight, emotionally and aesthetically. The Spanish female narrator’s voice in ‘Sierra Cuadrada’ is enough to make a man question his life commitments.

The album uses electric guitar and strings persuasively throughout. After a basement flood, I can no longer pry open the cd insert to see who deserves the credit.

Pagny is much less convincing when he goes up-beat. I take him to be an accomplished love balladeer who would be well advised to stick with his strengths. Other albums might prove me wrong on this, however.

This is truly a fine cd. You don’t have to speak French or Spanish to appreciate the music, though it certainly adds a level of texture if you’re able to do so.