by Luke McGoldrick
3/5
La Maison Noir / The Black House is the new EP by Petite Noir. His music can be described as art pop with a post-punk feel to it, which comes clear on this album with some of the most politically charged songs. Noir also collaborates for the second time with Danny Brown for the single “Beach” – currently my favourite track on the album because of the haunting synth that plays throughout it. Noir is an experimental musician who can also design a beat to fit a particular artist like Danny Brown. “F.F.Y.F (POW)” is another great track with a bouncy, feel-good vibe to it and the most mainstream pop-sounding track on the album. A lot of the music on this album is socially conscious with thought-provoking lyrics about racism, politics and the social issues which are clearly important to the artist. “Blowing Up The Congo”, featuring Saul Williams, is a somewhat cynical, political song that shines a light on the many social problems that still exist in African countries and how the situation does not seem to be getting any better. The anger and energy that Noir puts into the track, with its chanting choruses, is what makes the album great and qualifies it as post-punk. La Maison Noir is a short and innovative record which reveals the angrier side of Petite Noir and shows his talent for writing uplifting, protest music. Measuring only 26 minutes in length, it does not result as being too demanding. Definitely worth the listen.
