Chris was a tremendous commercial and artistic breakthrough for
Christine & the Queens'
Heloise Letissier -- and, as
La Vita Nuova shows, he's not done yet. True to his art, he continues to push himself on this EP, transmuting the bold energy of his previous album into a moodier and more reflective set of songs. It's a risky move to begin
La Vita Nuova with its slowest song, but it pays off: "People, I've Been Sad" generates as much heat and excitement with its flowing melody and outpouring of emotion as
Letissier did with
Chris' kinetic pop. He allows herself to let out some of the sorrow he braced himself against on that album, and on "Mountains (We Met)," the song's tumbling beats feel like his toughness falling away. On each of
La Vita Nuova's songs, he discovers new layers to
Chris' danceable yet deeply emotional approach by combining it with the graceful sounds and tender moods of his debut album,
Chaleur Humaine. With the muscular beats and airy synths of the standout "Je Disparais dans Tes Bras,"
Letissier makes heartache and doubt seem almost appealing. He's just as eloquent on that song's English-language sister "I Disappear in Your Arms," the Spanish-English hybrid "Nada," and the EP's title track, a simmering duet with
Caroline Polachek in Italian. However
Letissier phrases it,
La Vita Nuova is a fine complement to the
Chris era. ~ Heather Phares
