French indie-pop trio Exsonvaldes returns after a six-year hiatus with their fifth studio album, "Maps," a highly-anticipated exploration of both geographical landscapes and musical evolution. Rooted in their shared engineering studies in Paris, the band's mathematical rock approach adds an astute tone to their artistic identity, crafting a concept album that not only maps their travels through cities like London and Turin but also charts their sonic evolution across decades.
"Maps" unfolds as a chronological voyage, spanning from the nineties to the present day, with intermittent backward glances referencing every pop decade since the seventies. A concept album with an ecological edge, it delves into furious eco-anxiety, reflecting the band's matured perspective on the environmental crisis. Preserving the record format, Exsonvaldes divides the album into an A-side and a B-side, framing their musical narrative.
The A-side commences with "Change," a track that confronts the tragic reality of the planet's endangered future. The song asserts that everything is destined to change because, ironically, nothing ever does. The B-side concludes with "Good-Bye Europe," a pre-Brexit ode to England and Europe written long before the political break-up. With French and English lyrics, a trademark of Exsonvaldes, the songs carry a blend of tongue-in-cheek humour and irony.
What ties "Maps" together is the overarching anxiety of a world on the brink, oblivious to its own excesses. Songs like "Change," "Rien Appris," and "Silence & Hyperacusis" ring alarm bells about the environmental crisis, presenting a chaotic vision of today's world through a blend of irony, indie-pop, and anxiety.
Written, recorded, and produced almost entirely by the trio, Exsonvaldes spent just over a year shaping this indie-pop gem, entrusting only the mixing to Etienne Caylou. The result is a meticulously crafted album poised to find its audience. Having previously earned support from BBC 6Music and featured on Netflix's "Emily in Paris," Exsonvaldes is set to tour France, Spain, and Germany in February 2024, bringing "Maps" to life on stage. The album stands as a testament to their musical prowess, a sonic cartography of their artistic journey and environmental concerns.
Listen to Exsonvaldes 'Maps'
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