Ensemble – Excerpts

Olivier Alary is evidently talented: you don’t end up with Cat Power, Lou Barlow and Björk in your Filofax without bringing something special to the table (the former both appear on Ensemble’s self-titled 2006 album, while the third collaborated with Alary on Medulla). But while Excerpts' construction is ornate and its orchestration pleasingly varied, his talents otherwise seem muted. After an uneventful overture, Things I Forget exhibits hints of the contrast Alary seem to be aiming for: as the music stretches and strains, groaning like deteriorating metal, vocalist Darcy Conroy coos sweet but anonymous fluff.

The combination is initially interesting, till Alary ups the pace and demolishes its fragility. The album never recovers, and long-term collaborator Conroy’s unimposing voice is partly to blame: disinterested and wan, she’s a bilingual Dido wrapped in candyfloss. There’s enough complexity here to reward multiple listens, but little incentive to commit the time. [Chris Buckle]