Charlotte Gainsbourg – IRM

Matthew Ritchie, Assistant Arts Editor

Grade: A

The daughter of French jazz-bo icon Serge Gainsbourg and sexy singer Jane Birkin returns with her second album, IRM. Named after the acronym given in French hospitals for brain scans, as well as being influenced by Gainsbourg’s near death from a brain haemorrhage following a water skiing accident, the album contains severely dark and spiritual themes in comparison to her previous album. This is a welcome surprise for Gainsbourg fans.
Debut album 5:55 was filled with cooing electronics and love songs, mostly due to the collaboration with the cheese-eating surrender monkeys in Air. This time around she has enlisted the help of everyone’s favourite egomaniacal bard, Beck, and the pairing is a strong choice. Following the release of his debut album Mellow Gold, it is safe to say Beck threw out all of his Johnny Cash and Neil Young albums for Tropicalia compilations and Serge Gainsbourg records. Because of this, IRM sounds somewhat like a Serge Gainsbourg record without entirely mirroring his compositions.
Even though Beck arranged, composed and gave life to the entire catalogue of songs on this album, it is clear to see this is in fact a Charlotte Gainsbourg record. If anything, this is the best Beck album in seven years and his name isn’t even on the cover.
“Heaven Can Wait” marries a bohemian acoustic guitar stomp over tickled keys and a jazzy horn section. This duet between Beck and Gainsbourg may be the most pop heavy on the record, as well as being one of the oddly sexiest tracks. “IRM”, which shares its name with the album, is a nauseating trip through the Paris and London underground on psychedelics. Mechanical sounds whir and fly by the ears as a monotone Charlotte describes a brain scan. “Le Chat Du Café Des Artistes” is a heavily orchestrated track with light drums and sensual whispers from Charlotte over swelling strings.
Sexy, gorgeous and intriguing as Charlotte is, this album is a must have.