Merz - Moi et Mon Camion

Merz (or Conrad Lambert, to his nearest and dearest) released his first album all of 9 years ago. However, until about 6 months ago, he had completely passed me by. Which is strange, because from what I can gather, his eponymous debut arrived with a blaze of major label backing, critical acclaim, and the inevitable high expectations.

As is so often the case, the album didn't make a big enough splash to satisfy the money-men. Merz managed to wriggle free of Sony BMG, and didn't resurface for another 6 years until he released 'Loveheart' which, not surprisingly, was free of the millstone of press expectation after such a long quiet period. Shamefully, in spite of how much I love the album I've uploaded, Moi et Mon Camion, I haven't heard his first two, so I can't comment on them. They are, however, very high on my ludicrously long to-buy list!

The album is a beautifully constructed folky record about travelling, which takes its name (translation - Me and my van) from Conrad's regular removals company. Apparently he's done a lot more moving than the average man (well, who the hell has a regular removals company?!) and this has informed his work. It's delicate, often touching, and occasionally swerves in unexpected directions; 'Shun (Sad Eyed Days)', for example has a funky, almost sleazy edge to it.

Merz appears to be an unpredictable soul, a rare breath of fresh air to whom little matters more than his music. Dumping Sony was a bold move, but showed integrity. His album is a gorgeous gem, and deserves to be high in the 'Best of 08' lists, but probably won't be.

Download: Merz - Moi et Mon Camion