Since their successful breakthrough into the scene with debut album Psycho Tropical Berlin back in 2013, La Femme have been constantly working on cohesive records that blend rock (from psychedelic to indie to rock and roll) and electronic music with hints of pop and even jazz. Today, they’re back with an incredible new album, Rock Machine, a collection of thirteen songs that bring sounds of the past into the present by adapting them through their own lens.
La Femme are on a roll: for the past four years, they’ve delivered six different albums—Paradigmes and Paradigmes: suppléments in 2021; Levitation Session (Live), Teatro Lúcido and Teatro Lúcido (Bonus Track Version) in 2022; and Paris-Hawaï in 2023. Earlier in January this year, they also launched a four-track EP, La Femme ressort. So we wonder, where do these guys have the time to work so much? And where do they find the inspiration? Ok, there’s six of them, but still. Anyway, Rock Machine is an undeniably fun, upbeat record that you can’t miss, so we break it down for you.
To kick off the summer, the French band released the first single off of the album, titled Ciao Paris! And that speaks volumes. In the song, influenced by ‘60s American surf sounds, they say farewell to their birthplace: “Goodbye, Pigalle, goodbye, Bastille / I gonna give a kiss, one for my mommy / One for my dad and one for my lady / And now goodbye, Paris, goodbye, merci.” Why so? Because they’re determined to broaden their horizons and become even more international. Their upcoming tours also prove that: from November 7th to 26th, they’re playing across North America in cities like Los Angeles, Seattle, Toronto, Montreal, Chicago, and New York, among others. And in March of 2025, they’ll be doing a European/UK tour in cities like Barcelona, London, Bristol, Oslo, Copenhagen, Berlin, Amsterdam, Prague, and others.
The record is packed with trippy synths, smooth vocals, powerful guitar solos, and a myriad of influences from the ‘60s, ‘90s, or genres like ska. Some songs are more electronic, like Sweet Babe (that highly modified voice in the intro saying “Wait, I think something’s just happened. They kissed!” is just chef’s kiss), My Generation, Yeah Baby or Venus. There are others that lean more into the myriad of rock influences—of course, I Believe in Rock and Roll, but also Amazing (with touches of folk), Clover Paradise (the opening of the album), White Night, Love Is Over (an ode to the Hacienda/Madchester music scene of the 1960s), or Waiting in the Dark, which has a more languid, melancholic feel to it.
Once again, the band proves that their sound is fresh, danceable and appealing despite being heavily inspired by decades-old genres and music scenes. With these thirteen songs, they also show that they work tirelessly to craft records that make sense when put together.
