NORMANDIE - DARK AND BEAUTIFUL SECRETS
Stockholm trio Normandie are days away from releasing their 3rd full length album, Dark and Beautiful Secrets – a raw reflection on identity, self expression, the desire to fit in, and a personal battle with mental health issues.
Stockholm trio Normandie are days away from releasing their 3rd full length album, Dark and Beautiful Secrets – a raw reflection on identity, self expression, the desire to fit in, and a personal battle with mental health issues.
From the opening bar of the album, Normandie’s sound is instantly reminiscent of Panic at the Disco! circa Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die! – with drums, effects pedals and keyboards, breaths, coughs and finger clicks creating a soundscape akin to tracks like ‘Casual Affair’ and ‘Far Too Young To Die’, and Strand’s vocals not too dissimilar to Brendon Urie’s. In fact, at first listen, you could be forgiven for thinking that this was, in fact, Urie himself.
Dark and Beautiful Secrets is very much about Philip Strand’s lifelong struggle with wavering mental health. The lead singer of the trio makes no qualms about the fact that this album is the most vulnerable work he has created, and he’s poured everything of himself into these songs. “This is a really dark album to me. We decided to be as intimate and personal as possible.” ‘Hostage’ is a fine example of this: a raw and passionate song about his experience of crippling panic attacks and the internal demons he has spent his life trying to escape: “I’m a broken soul/ Think I’ve lost control/Cause you’re making me your hostage.” Accompanied by stunning visuals, ‘Hostage’ paints a vivid and effective picture of the frightening feelings experienced by those who suffer from panic attacks and De-Personlisation: “I couldn’t recognise myself in the mirror and it felt like nobody could see or hear me”, Philip explains.
The production on Dark and Beautiful Secrets is incredibly slick, with strong rock beats and guitars, and Philip’s fantastic vocals being showcased beautifully in every track. The individual songs are fantastic, with ‘Babylon’, ‘Hostage’ and ‘Jericho’ providing a particularly strong opening act, and the trio have clearly found a formula that works.
Music, as a universally understood language, undoubtedly plays a vital part in the healing process, and in raising awareness of the mental health issues that plague so many people. Albums like Dark and Beautiful Secrets are a cathartic release for the writers and musicians and a comfort to the listener. But this album lacks the peaks and troughs that make a musical journey exciting and moving, and never quite feels like a fully rounded emotional experience. Described as ‘an unflinching look at fractious relationships with the internet, panic attacks, love and lust and losing touch with reality’, it feels like there is scope for more of a musical roller coaster than the album offers.
That being said, this is an enjoyable album, with some truly excellent moments, and I’m sure that when the guys are up and touring again (They have a UK/Europe tour booked for autumn this year) these songs will make for a fantastic live show.
Jess Distill
★★★★☆