Relapse's answer to the (albeit inverted) White Stripes strikes again. Couple and bandmates Jucifer are back with their sophomore effort L'Autricienne and this time they mean business. The variety of styles is even greater than before and makes up for a total of 21(!) songs. But is it any good?

 

First of all, I like Jucifer best when they're playing their brooding doomy alternative songs which combine soothing vocals with shrieking outbursts. The dynamic interplay works best at those times when they're woven inside a single song. At least, that's my opinion because the guy and gal of Jucifer don't seem to agree..

 

L'Autricienne is a bold and brave mix of songs which vary from almost grind or noise to more softly spoken aforementioned doomy alternative. And while it's certainly an interesting listen (gee, how will the next song sound?) I'm having a hard time fully enjoying this album due to it's schizophrenic nature. And with 21 songs it sounds fractured and hardly coherent. My guess would be, less songs please and a bit more of a middle road.

 

That said, the parts where it does click it's pretty stunning (in the title track for instance) and Jucifer still know how to set a mood. So all in all it's a bit of a letdown for me but this is still quality material nevertheless. If you'd liked Jucifer more varied than they already were, or if you want to hear something different, you could do a lot worse than checking this out.
 
Review by Ce-El-Wan