Review
Genre and Mood
Las Aves sound nothing like the rock band they used to be, and N.E.M. is the proof. It is electro-pop with an indie pop heart, glossy and electronic, made by musicians who had spent a decade playing guitars. The mood is bold and playful, and with its video it becomes something more: an empowering portrait of young women doing exactly as they please.
Song Summary
N.E.M. is the fourth track of Die in Shanghai, the band’s debut album, released on 27 May 2016 by Cinq 7 and Wagram Music. The song is credited to all four members, Géraldine Baux, Adrien and Jules Cassignol and Vincent Argiolas, and the album was produced by Dan Levy, one half of the Franco-Finnish duo The Dø. The title stays a set of initials. What makes it memorable is its confidence: a short, bright pop song that never seems to try too hard.
Musical Breakdown
The Sound
The Line of Best Fit placed the band somewhere between a 1990s rave and the heavier sound of The Dø, with nods to Justice and hints of M.I.A. On N.E.M. that means synthesizers and programmed beats up front, with a glossy, upbeat finish.
The Voice
The Line of Best Fit heard casually delivered melodies in the band’s singles, and Baux keeps that light touch here, letting the beat carry the energy.
The Length
At about three minutes and twenty seconds, the song is over before it can wear out its welcome, a single built for repeat plays.
Concepts in Focus
N.E.M. is hard to separate from its music video, and the video belongs to a larger idea. It is part of a trilogy: N.E.M. in London, Leo in Los Angeles and Die in Shanghai in Shanghai, each following a group of girls. Baux described the project as putting the light on girls doing their own thing, with their own style, and Kaltblut noted that the N.E.M. clip followed a group of young people in Peckham. The video is not a story; it is attention.
The second concept is the synthesizer as a way of starting over. As The Dodoz, the same musicians played two guitars, bass and drums. Las Aves rebuilt them around electronic sounds, and the synthesizer became the instrument of a new identity rather than a decoration on an old one. Compare the club-bright electronics of Justice vs. Simian – We Are Your Friends, which The Line of Best Fit heard echoed in the band.
Artistic Context
The Dodoz formed in Toulouse in 2003, with Baux on vocals and bass, and released two albums, The Dodoz (2009) and Forever I Can Purr (2012), before announcing their split on 11 March 2014. In 2015 the group re-formed as Las Aves with a more electronic sound, and Dan Levy’s production on the debut album sealed the change.
Impact and Reception
Die in Shanghai drew support from DIY and The Line of Best Fit, Kaltblut called N.E.M. a memorable hit of the band’s debut era, and the band brought the album to London and The Great Escape in Brighton in 2017. Play it loud, then watch the video and see who it is really about.
