Tricot Machine

TRICOT MACHINE

2007

Indie pop

I'm a super cheesy person in life. I love sappy romance, the little platitudes of everyday life, and clichés that still manage to warm your heart. And this album checks all the boxes for me. That being said, I know it's really not everyone's cup of tea. I think it's an album that deserves at least one front-to-back listen, preferably at the end of fall or the beginning of winter, wrapped in a big blanket with hot chocolate and a loved one in front of a fireplace.
You can clearly tell it's a first project. It's very amateur, it feels like a couple singing songs to each other in their little home away from everyone, but the vibe's like a balm for the heart. Most of the songs are really bare when it comes to instrumentation, the harmonies are super simple, but who cares! Tricot Machine is innocent and childlike even in its more serious moments, it's a love letter written in crayon that reads "Do you want to be my girlfriend?" with two boxes to check yes or no, it's a little box with marbles, yarn, candy and like $2.50 in loose change. It's all the childlike joy in the world, warming the soul and soothing lil broken hearts. And sometimes, that's all you need.
Oh and by the way, this review is going to be super biased. I have a big personal connection to this album, so I like pretty much every song on it. But to be fair if you're reading my reviews and expecting me to be objective, stop that immediately you harlot. I talk about albums I love, because otherwise it would be a waste of time. Why would I spend more time than necessary listening to or talking about an album I don't care about?

Introduction au tricot machine

Savez-vous tricoter? / À vos aiguilles!

Pretty much the only song that leaves me indifferent, it's not insane but it's fun! It's sooo conceptual, giving instructions on how to knit. The mix of banjo, synth, and drums is simple but amusing. And those little "Ah ah ah ah!" are goofy as hell, but it works here because the song does not take itself seriously at all. Shoutout!

L'ours

Ce matin j'me suis faite une p'tite bouffe / Mais à vrai dire ça passait pas vraiment / J'm'étais même préparé un bol de soupe / Car j'espérais te voir dedans

Ok now we're really diving in with one of the best songs on the album. It starts super simple but quickly takes a strong hold of your heart. Triple claps, a little harmony that's super whimsical, and rock solid piano. The higher the crescendo builds, the more your heart fills with joy. And then, as they put it so well, POW POW! Once the adrenaline comes down, a mellow little section that made me cry when I was younger and an ending that wraps up this relationship between woman and bear. It's short, it's snappy, it's cute, it's a metaphor for a whole relationship, it's everything you could want in a song really.

Pas fait en chocolat

Penses-tu qu'on va passer à travers le temps qu'il fait c't'hiver?

By Zeus, the person on piano slays 100% of the time, a perfect blend of beauty and simplicity. Most of Tricot Machine's songs talk about winter in a very Quebec way, and their more familiar vocabulary helps with that. To me, that makes the album more down-to-earth, cuter, more fun. And this song is a perfect example. The optimism that winter, both in their hearts and outside, is only temporary feels so joyful because of the casual Quebecois language. It's a cute little song, pleasant to sing, nothing more complicated than that.

Un monstre sous mon lit

De perdre sa mère au centre d'achat / De perdre son père 2 semaines sur 3

La chienne d'aimer ou de v'nir trop vite

This piano has so much energy, it's crazy. Anyways, I think it's a song that manages to validate our fears while also putting them into perspective. It presents little childhood fears side by side with real adult fears, to show us that in the end, they're all the same monsters. That way, when the ending (a brutal slap of reality to the face) comes, it hits but without causing anxiety. The train-like drums really help build that rising stress. Even if Tricot Machine isn't the band to make you have big life realizations, I think this metaphor is pretty unique and interesting and it is well explored.

Les oreillons

Ça doit ben faire cent fois / Que j'me rends pas à ton oreille / Cent fois qu'j'te l'dis pas

A good first sad ballad that announces the huge sorrow pit of the album's middle section. We're entering calmer, sadder territory, with piano that's twice as beautiful. But for now, we get a little appetizer with a simple message that still hits: I love you, even if I don't always say it. We get some lovely figures of speech, like the anaphora of "Chaque fois" or the times moving closer and closer to the present. The final buildup is delightful with its la la la's that are so fucking cute.

Super Ordinaire

J'voulais être l'homme qui a vu l'ours / Mais chez nous, à Beloeil / Y'a juste des écureuils

Another calm song, this one much sadder. It's fun to have a depression song that isn't super emo and "everybody hates me," one that's grounded in reality. Because the feeling of being just super ordinary as a person, we've all felt that at one point or another. The instrumentation is very barebones, like the protagonist of the song, but it still touches a nerve. We still get a little banjo that joins halfway through, and he mentions Beloeil!! Rahhhh Beloeil my town!! Anyways...

Les peaux de lièvres

On s'éclipse du party / La neige crisse sous nos pieds / Les flocons dansent doucement / Dans le vent / Mais c'pas la faute du temps si j'frissonne

Holy fuck, what a song. It's so beautiful, the piano is majestic, I feel like I'm living the story with them. Honestly, I need to live this song one day. Really, suburban Quebec French has never been so full of love and desire, without even needing to say it directly. I don't even have words to describe how touching it is. If there's one track I can recommend you go listen to right away, it's this one. It's simply beautiful.

Beau temps mauvais temps

"Pourquoi courir / Si ça nous mène tout droit au ciel / Pour 100 000 ans"

Honestly the whole song can be summed up by that lyric. It's a very simple retrospective of someone's life, it doesn't even take a moment to breathe, and it reminds me to appreciate the little moments in life. It's not the deepest thing ever, but the message is clear and effective, and the song is fun to listen to. It's also really fun to sing, like phonetically everything just works really well together.

La pluie

Mais va pas croire que j'm'ennuie / J'sais rester forte malgré la pluie / Ok c'est vrai, c'est des menteries / Donne-moi d'la force, mens moi aussi

What a beautiful song. We're really getting into the downer part of the album, but even then it's not too depressing to the point where you'd only listen when you already feel like crying. It's all gentle, like the song doesn't want to hurt you by being too strong. The double bass (I think) is such a gorgeous touch that makes my soul vibrate. And damn Catherine has such a beautiful voice. A song that complements a breakup really well (speaking from experience).

Le trou

Même si on se l'dit tous les jours / J'suis toujours pas dev'nu invincible

I'm pretty sure this was one of my ex's favorite songs. Anyways, it's probably the song I have the least to say about. It's beautiful, it's super downer with piano that weighs heavy on the heart, it's full of simple images that make a nice effect, and it doesn't need to be more than that for me to love it.

Une histoire de mitaines

Je l'sais que c'est quétaine / Mais c'est l'histoire qui m'vient / L'hiver quand on s'promène / Pis qu'tu m'tiens par la main

For me, the word "quétaine" is embodied by this song. It feels super Quebecois, in its representation of winter, in its contractions, in its choice of words (shoutout to slotche, faire des tatas, tarla, tapon, and calorifère). The chorus explains the whole song, it's a little love story told between lovers. It's super light as a track, really harmless, but it makes me want to love and be loved. Clearly it's not the most elaborate song ever written, but its innocence and simplicity make it my favorite track on this album.

Ambulance

Le gars dans l'heure de pointe / Avec son arrogance / Oubliait qu'le destin / Prend toujours sa revanche

This is the song that differs the most from the rest of the album, but I fuck with it HARD. The main character is an asshole, but we're not meant to sympathize with him. The atmosphere is ultra stressful, he sings in a way that doesn't let us take a break during the verses, and I counted, there are 27 different rhymes in -ance. Really impressive. As usual, nothing revolutionary in the subject matter, but it's always well told and this track has a particular swagger that isn't anywhere else on the album.

Roman savon

On fait nos fanfarons / Jusqu'à c'que l'amour nous amoche

Every time I listen to this song, I think of my friend and former roommate (hi Liviane! Love youuuu) who would clean the entire apartment every time she was super mad. This song was written for her. Anyways, it's a really cliché sappy track. The little laughs all throughout, the clown language, the light tone, it's really a good way to close the album. To me, it represents Tricot Machine as a whole: a couple who love each other and make sure we know it. And you know what? I'm happy for them. I wish them a good life together.

← Retour au Disquaire