The Daily Spin, May 6
Christine and the Queens | Chris
Welcome back to the Daily Spin, the series in which I review 365 albums during 2023.
Each album will be given a rating on a scale from 0 to 10. You can look at the entire set here. Additionally, you can check out a list of my favorite song from each album right here.
If you want to suggest an album, good news! You can do so right here!
Album: Chris (2018)
Artist: Christine and the Queens
Link:
This is a delightful sort of funky pop - not Funko Pop, I don’t much care for those, but pop that has the best sort of swing to it, energy and passion and a wonderful sense of direction that carries it forward as great artists move their own work.
And yet, through it all, I think what I appreciate the most about this work is the undercurrent of anger - almost rage - that simmers throughout the entire album. It’s something that’s not entirely unique to music, definitely, but it’s rare to find a pop record that so visibly holds that anger sacred and builds with it, song after song highlighting it as a device through which Heloise Letissier conveys everything she wants to highlight about masculinity and femininity alike.
Another neat thing: the double-recording of this album with French and English versions - what a beautiful little touch for a record to have, and while there’s not really many differences to speak of, it’s a cool little homage to her own heritage, if nothing else.
It’s a great concept, with some beautiful messaging, and executed decently enough, but I feel it lacks what I really want out of an album - there’s no real desire for me to return to it, and as such, I don’t feel I can grade it higher than I have.
Rating: 7.8/10
Best Tracks: The walker
Worst Tracks: Whats-her-face