Thomas Meluch, whose name is often veiled by the alias Benoît Pioulard, displays great diversity throughout his body of work. Indication of this doesn't need to be derived from great analysis of his catalog, either: last year's Lasted built densely upon the makeshift folk template with analog-treated atmospherics and intricately concrete lyricism. Those traits, paired with Meluch's naturally gorgeous vocal layering, professed extraordinary imagination that hoisted him to a summit not reached by contemporaries.
By contrast, Benoît Honoré Pioulard's latest self-proclaimed mini-LP Plays Thelma opts for simpler ornamentation. This 23-minute offering attains many facets from Lasted's interludes, where singing, percussion, and the multi-instrumental foundation are taken aback to give prominence to the rustic landscape illustrated by Meluch's effected guitar loops. Sensibly published by the recently founded Desire Path imprint, the EP falls into a league similar to the outer sounds presented by other artists on the label's roster, though holds compositional lineaments specific to itself.
While preserving its consistent submission of guitar-based orchestrations, Plays Thelma remains a varietal effort. "A Land Which Has No End" consists of sedate, gradual bows overlapping themselves seamlessly into a droning conglomerate serenity. Diverging from the calm is the following "Hushes Gasp", a stressed and stumbling vignette. What may be the strongest movement is the pulsating, respiratory cadence of "Calder". No matter the drift, Meluch creates a sense of solidarity with graceful transitions from one sublime excursion to another. Plays Thelma proves that the Benoît Pioulard undertaking is characterized by stellar versatility and loses none of its luster post-shapeshift.
[Benoît Honoré Pioulard Website]
[Buy Plays Thelma from Desire Path Recordings]
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