Teatro Lucido

The Paradigmes era was a fruitful time for La Femme, spawning not only a well-regarded album but a collection of bonus tracks, a film, and a series of NFTs. Many groups would take a breather after so much output, but Marlon Magnee and Sacha Got doubled down, releasing Teatro Lucido just a year and a half after its predecessors arrival. Building on the Paradigmes track "Le Jardin," La Femmes fourth album is also their first entirely sung in Spanish as a tribute to their fond memories of touring Spain and Latin America (the album title comes from the bands favorite theater in Mexico). Got and Magnee pay tribute to the regions sounds as only they can, bookending the record with theatrical flair. "Fugue Italienne," which also throws some spaghetti Western homage into the mix, offers a bold fanfare with its combination of trumpets, castanets, and whirling synths, while "Ballade Arabo-Andalouse" brings things to an atmospheric close with echoing brass and laughter that evokes good times turning into memories. As they blend these influences into their sound, La Femmes knack for unpredictably catchy pop remains pre-eminent. "Sacatela," which borrows the swaying rhythms and breathy flutes and vocals of Brazil, is summery perfection; another Brazilian tribute, "No Pasa Nada," features Adios Amores Iman Amar and fits in with the projects slinky electronic pop perfectly. Teatro Lucido usually works best when La Femmes love for these styles doesnt overshadow their own, whether its the touches of reggaeton of "Contaminado" or the Andalusian fantasy of "Y tu te vas." Their appreciation of a wide range of musical eras also works well; its hard to imagine many other acts who could juxtapose the tweaked vocals and forceful beat they borrow from 2020s Latin pop on "Teatro Lucido" with the loping pasodoble rhythm and tympani of "Maialen." ~ Heather Phares