Petridisch - Apéritifs

 

Released: February 23

Something I have always enjoyed about Petridisch’s music from the moment I was introduced to it is the way he uses vocals and vocal-like sounds. Apéritifs is no exception here and it lets you know it right of the bat with the opening moments of the first track with somebody asking for a finger so they can put some vapor rub on it. It’s a comical little snippet that I’m sure I’ve heard before but can’t place it for the life of me. But its grabbed my attention with a chuckle as it transitioned to a wispy sung vocal accompanied by little more that an airy pad on “L’infantile.” A curious introduction to the album that establishes its vague theme early on. 

Most of the album is rather harmonious with little in the way of percussion but heavy on that dreamy, wispy, almost ethereal vocal sound though there’s no real telling where the vocals came from. “Our Again S” is heavy on the harmony to the point that there’s an intentional clash among them. Stacks and stacks of layered pads sit on top of each other in a way that makes it feel uneasy and precarious. There’s no real resolution at the end but it dovetails in to the next track well as we’re asking by an unknown singer to sing along. Then, true to form, that ask is subverted by a track featuring no vocal and only a strange and racing piano on “Temps de Chiffons.” It’s not particularly anxious as a track but it does take a moment to get away from that harmony heavy and vocal-centered motif. 

Overall, it’s a rather nice addition to Petridisch’s growing discography with plenty of those vocal qualities that I particularly enjoy. The after-dinner lounge-y feel insinuated by the title is there, but it is inflected by the delightful weirdness that makes a kind of artistic signature. But truly a fun little album.