Local Review: L’anarchiste – Giant

L’anarchiste
Giant

Kilby Records
Street: 07.14
L’anarchiste = Sufjan Stevens + Bon Iver

Giant, the electro-acoustic follow-up to L’anarchiste’s transitionary EP The Traveler, shows L’anarchiste stretching their orchestral-folk muscles as far as they can into an electronic realm. “Samundar” and “Hold Tight” are unashamedly Sufjan Stevens–influenced, with harmonies straight out of Stevens’ catalogue. The latter employs delicate percussion and lightly strummed guitar that moves quickly behind vocalist Robert LeCheminant’s desperate tale of love on the verge of slipping away. The song’s tension is carried steadily until the last verse, as familiar horns come in to signify a climax only to be swallowed up like a flood by brooding electronic bass. The sudden entrance of low-end synths is used for cinematic effect throughout Giant, keeping the album playing like a high-stakes tale of love and fantasy from start to finish. I give it two thumbs up. –Justin Gallegos