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Fabien Polair releases first album in 17 years
After a 17-year hiatus, the long-awaited Love, Loss & Side-Tales of Recovery, follow-up to 2008’s Crossroads, Middletown, is finally here.
The album opens with Momentum, where Polair sings, “Let’s talk about being late.” This raises the question of whether the 17-year gap constitutes lateness or a form of disappearance. The line “I need to keep looking after our family” from Strange Times suggests he has been focused on his personal life.
Much has changed for Polair since his London-based album in 2008. The sentiment of Settle Down from Crossroads, Middletown now seems prophetic, as he has found love, started a family, and relocated to the South of France.
While some may wonder about the lengthy interval before this release, Polair has not been entirely inactive, having released three singles with his SoftSuns side project.
Musically, Love, Loss & Side-Tales of Recovery resumes where Crossroads, Middletown left off. The opening track, Momentum, with its harmonica and pedal steel, echoes the Americana of Neil Young and the Jayhawks.
However, the ten-track LP also explores new sonic territory.
The album’s themes – love, loss, and recovery – are evident throughout.
Momentum explores disbelief and stubbornness, with an added intensity towards its crescendo.
Sweet Christmas Dream the album’s first single (released in November 2024), is an ode to new-found family life and love, featuring chimes and angelic choirs. As Polair suggests, the intervening 17 years have simply been “life”.
Diadems and Experiment transition from acoustic to electric guitars, culminating in noisy finales.
Diadems, with its 90s-influenced noisy pop (reminiscent of Ride), explores the theme of enduring friendship (“I have tidied up my stones, all that’s left is diadems”), a theme Polair has addressed since his early band UNaware.
Experiment begins with arpeggios and a bassline reminiscent of The Cure’s Pornography-era, before exploding into a Pixies-esque chorus of swirling bass and distorted guitars. Polair’s raw vocal delivery on the line “Life’s an experiment” conveys the pain and experiences that underlie his reflection on life’s winding paths and the pursuit of peace and comfort.
Nothing revisits the political commentary of 2006’s Circumstances of the Present World, this time with lyrics drawn directly from Trump’s quotes.
The quieter side of Polair is evident in songs like Little Weight and Strange Times.
Little Weight, with its haunting piano melody, evokes a US road trip along Route 281 while Strange Times and Desperate Hours, with their classical guitars, recall the work of Leonard Cohen and Kings of Convenience.
Sunshine, with its summery vibe, jangly ukulele, and bouncy riff, is a candid love song that expresses Polair’s newfound optimism (“I’ll keep that sunshine with me now, and for the rest of my life”).
Ultimately, Fabien Polair returns in strong form with one of his best albums, with renewed inspiration drawn from life’s lessons (“One day you fall, the next you float”) and a newfound serenity (“And I feel I’m finally home”), suggesting more music is on the horizon.
Focus on: Momentum
Momentum was written in 2008, during his tour to promote the album “Crossroads, Middletown.” This song offers a distinct flavour reminiscent of the Americana and Indie-Folk sound that characterised that period, featuring arrangements built around folk guitars, harmonica, and pedal steel.
Lyrically, Momentum delves into a period of personal reflection for Polair, exploring the complexities of past love relationships. The line, “Let’s talk about being late, out of place, miss the momentum,” encapsulates a feeling of frustration and lost opportunity.
The verses explore themes of disillusionment (“It’s not too hard to admit / It’s just tough to swallow / When everything you believed true / Is just daydreams overgrown”) and the struggle to let go of the past (“It’s just a case of remembering / You’ve got to let go”). The recurring chorus, “Yet you try / To do it yourself / To do it your way / Though there’s no point in even trying,” highlights a sense of persistent but perhaps futile effort. The raw question, “Is there still room to breathe / In this inferno? / When your life burns on both ends / There’s nowhere left to go,” conveys a powerful sense of being overwhelmed.
Momentum is the opening track to new album Love, Loss & Side-Tales of Recovery, available now on all streaming platforms.
Focus on: Diadems
Diadems is a song with a history, originally conceived during Fabien’s time with his early band
UNaware under the title Call It A Call. This current iteration features entirely new lyrics. The musical backdrop offers hints of noisy pop and shoegaze, recalling bands like Ride, with a modern sensibility that might be likened to Bill Callahan’s (‘My Friend’ from his 2009’s album ‘Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle’)
The lyrical core of Diadems marks a significant thematic departure from some songs on Crossroads, Middletown. While earlier tracks explored underlying disillusion, Diadems charts a course towards resilience and taking charge of one’s life. The struggle is acknowledged directly: “Bad old fears don’t disappear / We try to hide them, they can’t be buried,” yet this is met with a determined resolve: “I’ll push my demons out of reach / And make anxiety go away.”
Polair’s lyrics are an open embrace of gratitude: “My friends, your love is all around me / I’m so blessed for all these years by your side.” He recognises how these relationships have offered crucial support: “I know you always saw through the cracks / Help carry that solitude so heavy and vile.”
Diadems ultimately stands as a poignant and optimistic declaration, a heartfelt tribute to the enduring power of friendship and its role in navigating life’s challenges.
Diadems is track number 3 of new album Love, Loss & Side-Tales of Recovery, available now on all streaming platforms.