Although Sylvain Chauveau had been relatively quiet for the past couple of years, 2007 has seen a large amount of activity from him, including two CDs under his solo project, one with Arca, and one with On. Rumor has it he's also due to release an album in early 2008 with Felicia Atkinson under the O'Rosa imprint. Impressively enough, each release stands independently of the others, and Chauveau is really demonstrating his diversity as a musician after years of working mainly in a neo-classical mindset (even though Arca had previously released two albums, On Ne Distinguait Plus Les Tetes also marked a significant change in the band's sound). I can't think of many musicians who have branched out so suddenly and so successfully in the same stroke, so there's much to be said in Chauveau's favor in this light. S, his previous release this year from Type, focuses more on his minimalist/drone sound, whereas Nuage returns to the neo-classical/soundtrack realm that he's most comfortable inside. 

Notably, Nuage is a collection of two soundtracks from Sébastien Betbeder's films "Nuage" and "Les Mains D'Andréa," compiled onto a single disc occupying a healthy nineteen tracks. As many soundtracks removed from film have difficulties retaining the listener's attention, Nuage is no exception; the album is hit and miss, containing some tracks which will grab ahold of the listener's emotions like a good soundtrack should and some that are clearly filler. The "Nuage" series in particular is exemplary in its ability to dazzle the audience; even over the course of a few minutes, the slowly developing tracks waste no time in enveloping the audience in a blanket of sentimentality. These types of tracks typify a romantic, intimate environment which soundtrack artists often strive to create. "Andrea's Hands I and II" are also strong additions to the album, sculpting a wondrous sense of emotion and poise that eludes far too many tracks here.

Needless repetition plagues much of the album, which makes the album seem far longer than its thirty some minutes, and not in a good way. I realize it's somewhat pedantic to criticize a soundtrack for being repetitive, but there is a large difference in the transition from screen to stereo, and the true test of a great soundtrack is whether or not it holds up without accompanying film. Nuage doesn't exactly pass the litmus test, and this is partially due to the presence of so many half-finished tracks. Presumably, these tracks were created in response to a need for particular music for specific moments in the film, as opposed to creating music with the soundtrack in mind and then cutting and pasting music from the completed body into the film's interior. Both approaches work almost identically in the film setting, but when taken away the former seriously lacks in comparison to the latter.

Besides a few interesting tracks, there's not a whole lot presented here that will satisfy listeners other than from those who eat, breathe, and sleep neo-classical/soundtrack music, which makes this on average, good background music. Those seeking something less fleeting are advised to look elsewhere.

-Jordan Volz