La Sécurité - Stay Safe!
Mothland Records
Released June 16th, 2023
La Sécurité will put pep in your step with one of the grooviest records of the year. The Montrealers’ debut draws profoundly from 80s pop, using driving synthesizers and basslines, fast tempos, and call-and-response melodies to make an upbeat vibe. The production, done by Samuel Gemme, often builds towards fun surprises. Quirky synths and layered sound effects pop up in delightful moments, conjuring spaceship dashboards or a cartoon amusement park.
Stay Safe! is undeniably zany. All five members take the album in a million directions, as if you got lost in a festival crowd and discovered a band you’ve never heard before. Lyrics alternate between French and English without a care. Lead single “Suspens” introduces a light synth line that gives way to bouncy vocals and guitars, skipping atop bassist Félix Bélisle’s relentless rhythm. And “Anyway” and “Serpent” introduce party-ready art-punk bops with layered riffs and beats, keeping double time but still leaving space to explore the groove.
Opener “Le Kick” is a little more straightforward, with the speech-like vocal delivery of singer Éliane Viens-Synnott. As if she was teasing you, she kicks things up a notch on “Dis-moi”, but at either speed her intonation drips with attitude. Combined with the band’s frequent surf rock riffs, I was reminded of a former favourite, the now-defunct Priests. Also noteworthy are the album’s softer moments. The relatively stripped-back “K9” has a dreamy electro sound that wouldn’t be out of place on a Chromatics album.
Stay Safe! hits peak hilarity at “Waiting for Kenny”, about a friend who is constantly late. The singer’s attempts at contact go unanswered, while discordant notes build an overexaggerated sense of urgency as a clock ticks and a phone rings in the background. I had to laugh as it reminded me of one of my permanently (f)unemployed friends who is also a little flaky for the strangest reasons.
The tone shifts on “Hot Topic”, where Viens-Synnott channels utter disdain as she rejects a man at the bar. As women are globally vilified by right-wing politicians and media, and online by bitter incels, La Sécurité flips the script over who has dancefloor dominance. Viens-Synnott snarls with forceful emphasis, “You can fuck off with the banter. Cut the crap, you’re not funny. I don’t need a drink. I make my own money.” The message can’t get much clearer.
Undisturbed, the final track “Sleepy Rebellion” ends with a spoken statement: “I’ll shine the way the daytime would.” It’s a nod to nights spent in darkened clubs, and describes how La Sécurité has embraced their influences to create something truly unique and bright.
- Paige Adrian
