AaRON - We Cut the Night (2016)

AaRON ("Artificial Animals Riding On Neverland") are English-language lyricist Simon Buret and composer Olivier Coursier, who met in 2004. Although they had written 20-odd songs together within a year of meeting, the release of their material was delayed by Buret's burgeoning film career and Coursier touring as guitarist and keyboardist with industrial metal outfit Mass Hysteria. The pair shot to fame in 2006 when their songs "U-Turn (Lili)" and "Mister K" were used on the soundtrack for the box office hit Je Vais Bien, Ne T'en Fais Pas, Buret having passed a demo to director Philippe Lioret when auditioning for a secondary role. Following the film's success, "U-Turn" became a minor Internet phenomenon, on the back of which the duo's self-titled debut came out in 2007. With autobiographical texts, an ethereal rock sound pitched somewhere between Tom McRae and Keane, and a haunting cover of "Strange Fruit," the album went to number eight in the French charts. The duo returned in 2010 with their introspective follow-up, Birds in the Storm. The album reached number six in the French charts and spawned the singles "Rise" and "Seeds of Gold." A year later, after the Unplugged & Waves tour, they released a live album, 2011's Waves from the Road. After a four-year silence, AaRON returned with their fourth album, We Cut the Night, which included the glimmering synth pop single "Blouson Noir." ~ Caspar Salmon.