By: Jarrett
1.29.08

I can recall a time when I was a much younger man, training to be a jazz percussionist. My mentor and instructor at the time put on a tape of Buddy Rich playing an absolutely insane drum solo, and he told me, "This is one of the greatest drummers of all time. I will train my whole life and never be able to play as fast and as technically as he could. But, as good as he was, his music never quite moved me like this did…" Then, my instructor put in a second tape. It was a version of the Duke Ellington standard, "Satin Doll." His point to me was that good music is about the ability to elicit emotional reactions, and you don't need to be constantly in an audience's face, showing them just how talented you are, in order make that kind of connection. When I listen to Au Revoir Simone, I always remember his lesson about the power of understatement.

Au Revoir Simone is a Brooklyn based, all-female indie-pop trio. Each of the members, Erika Forster, Annie Hart, and Heather D'Angelo, sing and play an assortment of electronic keyboards. Their songs are charmingly simple and easy to listen to, ranging from catchy, pop tunes that can ignite a dance party, to dreamy compositions that can lull you to sleep. (I mean that in a good way, for the record.)

Recently, they created a video for "Sad Song" from their album The Bird of Music (Europe: Moshi Moshi Records, 2007; North America: Our Secret Record Company, 2007; Japan: Rallye Records, 2007). The video showcases their unapologetic acceptance of their own femininity without being overbearing as they bake cookies and decorate their apartment for a dance party. I find it hard not to absolutely fall in love with their casual, uncomplicated honesty and their modest shyness.

Despite this song's melancholic lyrics, such as the refrain of "I know that you'll go soon / You'll find out, so take me with you," it leaves you feeling surprisingly warm and hopeful in the face of emotional tragedy, rather than empty and miserable (unlike so many other modern "emotional" bands).

Here is where Au Revoir Simone really appeals to me: their simple melodies, minimalist arrangements, relatively unsophisticated lyrics and unpolished productions can all merge together synergistically to create complex, subtle, and mature emotional reactions in the listener.

Check out "Sad Song" on YouTube:

I had the chance to catch the girls when they played recently at the Bowery Ballroom, where they shared the stage with Bell and April March. It wasn't the first time that I had seen them live; however, it was the first time that I'd seen them since they'd returned to New York from an extensive world tour. The Bowery Ballroom was packed with an impressing turnout of fans that couldn't resist singing and dancing along throughout the whole set. The smiling faces of Au Revoir Simone seemed to imply that even they might have been slightly surprised at their incredibly positive reception. The mood at the venue never dropped as the girls played, sang, stomped their high-heels, and occasionally head-banged their way through a solid list of songs, both old and new. The set ended on a very strong note, with a stunning rendition of David Bowie’s "Oh You Pretty Things" and a campfire-esque finale where all of the musicians from the opening bands came back on stage to sing along with the chorus of "The Lucky One." My final synopsis: this was a wonderful show by a wonderful band that you owe it to yourself to check out.

Au Revoir Simone's latest release, The Bird of Music, is available through their website.

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