For an artist, there are many ways to find inspiration. Watching a movie, taking a walk in the middle of nature, listening to new musical genres... For Sebastien Laloue, it was by moving to Australia, more precisely on the Sydney side. The French composer, upon arriving there, then had the idea to offer a successor to his first album "Scarred" released in 2019.
Although Brainsqueezed can be considered as a solo career, this does not prevent Sebastien Laloue from surrounding himself with a strong team. We find indeed many guests on this new record, "I Am Not A Robot", mainly singers (Marcello Vieira, Audrey Karrasch, Xana Chambers) but also some musicians coming to bring here and there an original touch with their instruments. To note, the very appropriate interventions of the saxophone of Hugo Lee on 'Black Summer 2019-2020', the well felt harmonica of Alex Paclin on 'More' and 'Down Under', or the orchestral arrangements of Yoed Nir and the electric guitar of Brandon Autry on some titles.
The big winner of the team is surely Audrey Karrasch, putting her voice on three different tracks. After a resolutely rock beginning of the album, the title 'Run' comes to bring a touch of sensitivity thanks to the sweet voice of the singer carrying a very beautiful chorus, pure and immediate, for a moving track. In a similar register, 'Afraid Of The Dark' draws its pin thanks to the majuscule performance of the singer, placed in the foreground. There again, the pop and calm chorus hits the spot and touches the heart.
But limiting Brainsqueezed's music to this aspect would be a mistake. Several titles reveal a more rock face, direct, even wild, like the very good 'More' and its impeccable harmonica, or 'My Fears In The Night', in which some passages could make think of Guns N'Roses, band being part of the influences of the French composer. Let's quote 'Down Under', a rock anthem reminding AC/DC which brings a wind of freshness and positivism, putting forward the voice of Marcello Vieira, sometimes surprisingly powerful as confirmed by titles like 'It Tears Me Apart' or 'Taking Lives', for which the timbre reminds that of Robert Plant.
Finally, the album also has a more experimental side, like the track 'Dawn (Song For Richard Wright)', showing the breadth of the stylistic palette of the musician and paying homage to the keyboardist of Pink Floyd with a guitar solo to David Gilmour. The last track, 'Black Summer 2019-2020' confirms this tendency with more progressive colorations for a duration exceeding the 8 minutes.
In the prolongation of the first album "Scarred", Brainsqueezed signs a pleasant return with a "I Am Not A Robot" varied enough for each music lover to enjoy.