Pushing the boundaries of progressive, piano-led rock since cementing themselves in Bristol’s thriving experimental music scene in 2020 Sans Froid (formerly known as Sang Froid, subtly changing their name to avoid a clash with a French goth rock band of the same name) have already been making a splash, fitting in comfortably with fellow oddballs Sugar Horse, Peach and CLT DRP while drawing comparisons to Kate Bush and Radiohead. Now, on their debut full length the quartet lean hard into their more eccentric tendencies for a confusing yet intriguing first swing.
Sans Froid waste absolutely no time in establishing themselves as artsy outsiders, turning away all but the most dedicated prog and art rock fans. Hello, Boil Brain makes a bold, if oft inaccessible, statement, swirling together frontwoman Aisling Rhiannon’s dissonant key stabs and lilting vocals with a punchy rhythm section and chunky guitar riffs for a disorienting and hypnotic experience. After a brief introduction from album opener ‘Hello’ Sans Froid get stuck in with their single ‘Planket’, a whirlwind of jarring piano, chaotic distorted guitar lines and mesmerising vocals. Hello, Boil Brain certainly won’t be for everyone; these first two tracks alone would be enough to keep it out of the charts, however, those brave enough to stick it out will find themselves drawn in and drowning in an intoxicating pool of noise.
From the get-go the interplay between frontwoman Aisling Rhiannon’s keyboard lines and guitarist Charlie Barnes’ wailing riffs plants itself firmly at the epicentre of Sans Froid’s sound, whirling the instruments together in a hurricane of intertwining melodies. Throughout the album moments of harmonised clarity break free from the discordant noise, like when the guitar and vocals synergise over a dramatic piano line on ‘Gammons’ or the subtle and ominous intro of ‘Split In Two’, that make full use of Rhiannon’s full key sound and Barnes’ intricate lead guitar parts. It’s rare to hear a rock band using this winding, maximalist approach this well, Sans Froid manage to balance their brick wall of arty prog rock with clear, memorable musicianship.
This isn’t to say that Sans Froid are incapable of subtlety, in fact, the waves of noise stand out far more in between moments of contemplative piano and expressive vocals. While tracks like ‘Planket’ and ‘Gammons’ throw the listener headfirst into a sea of abstract keys and driving rhythms elsewhere on the album you can find a more intimate, toned down experience. The song ‘What’s That Sound’ brings the energy down, centering Rhiannon’s keys and vocals for a more intentionally paced, melodramatic feel than the band’s usual chaotic progressive maximalism, showing off the band’s close-knit chemistry in a less intense context.
Bringing the energy down even further is dizzying closer ‘Boil Brain’ which fully immerses the listener in a pool of reverberating keys and echoing vocals. Clocking in at almost five and a half minutes ‘Boil Brain’ slows Sans Froid’s sound down to a crawl, allowing the sledgehammer keyboard hits to dominate while Rhiannon’s ethereal voice glides over the top before evolving into a cacophony of repeated vocal phrases bouncing off each other. ‘Boil Brain’ may be a bit of a left turn from the rest of the album’s dense sound but is a welcome cap to an off the wall half hour of off the wall absurdity.
Hello, Boil Brain won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, in fact Sans Froid seem to revel in being as out of the box as possible, creating impenetrable soundscapes of progressive, piano-led art rock designed to delight only the most dedicated fans. For those with the stomach for it Sans Froid’s debut delivers one of the year’s wackiest, most immersive albums.