Centaur Desire

Ah, Bordeaux…! This city of light known and celebrated by many of its peers for its indisputable beauty, food, and world-class wines… is surely less known for being a catalyst of the French rock scene over the last few decades. As you may have guessed, I won’t be talking about Noir Désir today — though praise would certainly not be lacking — but about another band from the very same city, characterized by an identity as seductive as it is demonic: the one and only J.C. Satàn.

This blasphemously named act has been scouring the French scene for nearly a decade, building a solid reputation over the years as fierce live performers through shows that are as memorable as they are explosive. This renown relies heavily on the excellent French-Italian duo — and founders of the band — formed by Arthur Larrègle, the turbulent singer and guitarist, and Paula Scarpi, the mesmerizing singer and songwriter of the lineup. A unique encounter that translates into unmatched compositions, finding its balance in a crossover between the angry riffs of a fierce defender of the punk-rock scene, counterbalanced by the pop and acid-fuzzed choruses of his Torinese partner-in-crime.

For their fifth album, the band pulled out all the stops and is now playing in the big leagues, with the benchmark of independent labels, Born Bad Records, steering the ship for this new opus. A collaboration that gives the band more resources to freely express their pronounced taste for stoner rock while gradually moving away from the Lo-Fi textures reflected in their early (and already successful) efforts. Another novelty: this is the first time the live lineup has recorded together in the studio. This innovation is particularly felt through the very first use of live drums, which are heard roaring from the opening notes of “I Won’t Come Back,” setting the guiding thread of this new album with panache.

While the band had previously accustomed us to captivating albums, they seem to be taking things to the next level with Centaur Desire. The opus is of rare maturity, built on a flawless cohesiveness across all tracks that plunges us from start to finish into a psychedelic experience worthy of the greats. This feeling is perfectly captured when listening to the excellent “No Brain No Shame,” which almost brings to mind a certain Josh Homme on the album Songs for the Deaf.

Addictive — surely the best adjective to describe the new path J.C. Satàn has chosen to take, delivering one of the most successful records of 2018, a milestone that confirms their status as leaders of the genre in France and soon internationally, as the band’s fan base across the Atlantic continues to grow with every new LP release…

2020, the year of the Centaur constellation? To be continued.