The name Yann Tiersen may have become household material, not for music fans, but for film buffs, as the guy who composed the soundtrack to French indie favorite Amelie. His work in classical composition is indeed beautiful; wistful piano riffs perfectly accentuate the camera’s sweeping views of Montmatre and shuddering violins only heighten the beauty of Paris in the rain.
That being said, when I heard Yann Tiersen’s latest album Skyline before attending his show at the Royale on Sunday, I was completely taken aback by the stark contrast in style from his Amelie days. On Skyline, much of which he borrowed from throughout his live show, Tiersen abandoned the grand piano in favor of synthesizers, electric guitars and four other bandmates. The album relies for the most part upon intricate instrumental workings layered with electronic effects. The end result recalls something along the lines of Red Sparowes or Explosions in the Sky: a sound dramatic and lush, subtly engaging yet largely devoid of lyrics.
Much of the intricacy of the instrumentals gets lost in playback on the album recording, rendering it somewhat forgettable. However, Tiersen’s live renditions of these songs completely brought the melodies to life, filling the Royale with a gorgeously executed soundscape that left the audience reverent in their rapt attention (and left me no choice other than to use a word like “soundscape” with the utmost seriousness).
While many of the songs are instrumental and rely upon hazy electric guitar and synths for melody, some songs featured choruses (albeit some only one word long) sung by different members of Tiersen’s band and harmonies reminiscent of the best of Sigur Rós.
Tiersen and his band’s instrumental weavings were, to put it modestly, highly impressive in complexity and very accessible in energy and rhythm, but it seemed as though the crowd, which did not even fill the raised standing room platform of the Royale, was not too keen on dancing. Perhaps members of the audience heard the name Yann Tiersen and expected a French guy with a piano playing intense classical piano while the audience sat back appreciatively. I know that’s what I would have expected.
It seems that the name “Yann Tiersen” is inadequate for the type of show witnessed at the Royale on Sunday. It was the intricate electronic workings of a five-man band that made the show so captivating, but the name Yann Tiersen will most likely forever be associated with Amelie and classical piano or violin. The tunes on Skyline and other songs crafted by the band during their live show transcend the genres of both post-rock and alternative rock, and perhaps the only way to communicate their greatness to the judgmental music area of the blogosphere is to re-brand the act altogether.
While I may have witnessed one man’s compositions being performed on Sunday night, the real beauty of the night came from the instrumental workings of a five-man band, and a five-man band whose skills should have sold out the house at that.
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