Five LPs into his brilliant career, the Frenchman finally gets the first British release of what might just be his masterpiece. Fittingly, it’s a sprawling set that veers from apocalyptic techno to Gang of Four-style post-punk via melancholic chanson, with piano ballads (Night Shop), guitar-driven sounds (L’Espoir Fait Vive) and orchestral numbers (the title track) sharing space. For such a weighty package, however, it’s remarkably free of anything that should have been trimmed. Superbe, indeed.
(Naive)