As the chill of autumn sets in, Sans Froid’s dynamic art rock brings a refreshing intensity, warming up the season with their raw, unfiltered sound. This young, sharp-edged band channels energy and passion, unafraid to deliver their message with bold honesty.
My first contact with Hello, Boil Brain was right on its release day, not long ago. I was head over heels on the first spin. This is exactly the kind of rapturous and forward thinking display of sonic power I love to see in rock in general. I’ve since listened to it many times over, which isn’t particularly difficult given how engaging and short it is.
Hello, Boil Brain is a veritable smorgasbord, hemming together off-kilter phrasings, exuberant and dreamy vocal deliveries, wide dynamics, an almost vague post-punk naiveté, and a healthy dash of playful avant-pop flair, interspersed with ample and dramatic piano. I’m not entirely sure if that captures comprehensively enough the stylistic depth of the music, however, I feel that it should be more than enough to relay the striking nature of it, at least the way I perceived it.
Sans Froid really make a point to not conform to any particular style, deciding it’s absolutely in their best interest to treat genres and styles as suggestions and colors, using them freely to paint their message as clearly and expressively as possible. This seems to be a relatively recent trend in music, and I hope more and more bands adopt this. It’s clear that it’s a win-win combo, no matter how you look at it. The way Sans Froid deliver this particular and unique blend of theirs makes me think of Bent Knee and Infinien specifically. They all have certain similarities, but are ultimately distinct entities with their own artistic vision.
While the lack of predictability in musical structure can often be a turnoff for many, I find it incredibly refreshing when all these disparate ends are tied together so neatly. I’m not sure how to explain the fact that there’s a seemingly natural link between all these bits which, on paper, don’t have natural connection points.
In casual discussions, I sometimes make a point of how redundant intro tracks are, however, “Hello” feels unusually catchy and serves for a neat setup into one direction, only to be demolished by “Planket”, which really hammers home both the sweet and soothing side as well as the dramatic aspect of Hello, Boil Brain. “Hardware Bruise” could also serve as a great example of this powerful ebb and flow, but also it’s easily my favorite track of the record. At this point I’ve probably listened to it on repeat at least as much as the rest of the album combined, hahaha!
That said, I’d be remiss if I didn’t call out the ever shifting, yet calculated nature of the compositions, which is very aptly voiced by the instruments, creating an equally varied emotional palette to admire, or to relate to. It’s really a sight to behold.
Sans Froid really nailed whatever they wanted to do with Hello, Boil Brain. The album is an unapologetic artistic statement rooted in a great sense of creativity and a keen overview. I am simply giddy with excitement to see whatever comes next from Sans Froid, whenever it does. If it’s at the very least as good as this, I’ll be content, to say the least.
