French-Canadian punks DVTR have been touring extensively in the last two years in their native Canada, Japan, Mexico, Europe, and the UK and this was evident in the ferocity of their recent live album release, Live Aux Foufs which I said captured the “sheer chaos and energy of the show” and how “they have move passed just being musically tight and into the telepathic zone where they play like breathing”.
‘Couleur Peau’ shows how they can sublimate all that intensity into their recorded material. The title relates to the “outdated French concept of “couleur peau” (skin colour)—a term that only ever refers to beige” with the wry comment in the press release, “Festival lineup looking a little too pale? Radio show lacking diversity? No worries—she can be your next token Asian friend.” Singer Demi Lune sings “Your skin is skin-coloured. My skin is brown!” and “According to Crayola, my skin is shit”, “Docile crayon, fragile crayon, broken crayon, angry crayon” (lines translated from French).
The bass and guitars (both played by JC Tellier) are crisp, reverb free, and buzz around the track like mosquitos but from the song’s mid-point the band throw everything into the mix and it’s like riding all the fairground rides at the same time; whirling, tilting, rollercoasting all lit up by superbright neon. Gabriel Lapointe’s drums are relentless and Demi Lune’s vocals talk-sing-shout-SCREAM the sneering irony of how she will ‘benefit’ from her skin colour and be “your next token Asian friend”.
DVTR are punk mavens who simultaneously draw on the energy of those 3-chord, DIY-days while demonstrating exceptional musical skill without sacrificing the frenetic energy their songs generate. This is sharp, witty, angry and above all energising like great punk should be.
DVTR: Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram | Bluesky | YouTube | TikTok
LYRICS
Toi ta peau
Est couleur peau
Moi ma peau
Est couleur brune
Toi ta peau
Est couleur peau
Moi ma peau
Est couleur brune
Je veux entrer dans la boîte avec les autres
Pas la bienvenue dans la norme des beiges
Selon Crayola, ouais ma peau c’est de la merde
Brun #8, je suis première de file
Pour passer sur les traces, des couleurs crème
Et faire de la merde
De vos dessins de beiges
Toi ta peau
Est couleur peau
Moi ma peau
Est couleur brune
On me vend des vêtements qu’on prétend invisibles
Pensez-vous qu’au Togo ça dit couleur peau?
Coz’ I can be
Your next token Asian friend
Coz’ I can be
Your next token Asian friend
Coz’ I can be
Your next token Asian friend
Your next token Asian friend
Coz’ I can be
Your next token Asian friend
Toi ta peau
Est couleur peau
Moi ma peau
Est couleur brune
Toi ta peau
Est couleur peau
Moi ma peau
Est couleur brune
Selon Crayola, ma peau c’est de la merde
Un crayon docile crayo-lasse qu’on décide
Moi ma peau est couleur peau
Moi ma peau c’est une peau
T’es un caryo-crasse qui tente de faire le cash
Sur 24 couleurs, ou 32 en 2022
Crayon docile, crayon fragile
Crayon brisé, crayon fâché
C’est maintenant moi qui profite
Moins de gens beiges sur tous les stages
Moins de gens beiges aux privilèges
Ils sont pas blancs, ils sont pas beiges
Ils sont tout roses, comme des cochons!
Review by Paul F Cook
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