Les Voyages de l'ame
by Alcest
User Score
8.5

Universal acclaim- based on 30 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 30
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 30
  3. Negative: 0 out of 30
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  1. BrushedRed
    Dec 16, 2014
    5
    I've wanted to like this so much more than I ultimately did. Ecailles de Lune is just absolutely spectacular, perfect, beautiful... Just wonderful! For those who haven't heard, think of Deafheaven's glorious Sunbather album but with a little less shoegaze and more black metal. Shelter is a very decent shoegaze album only hendered by a little monotony in a few songs and some repetition hereI've wanted to like this so much more than I ultimately did. Ecailles de Lune is just absolutely spectacular, perfect, beautiful... Just wonderful! For those who haven't heard, think of Deafheaven's glorious Sunbather album but with a little less shoegaze and more black metal. Shelter is a very decent shoegaze album only hendered by a little monotony in a few songs and some repetition here and there, but for his take a on a pure shoegaze album, it's awesome! However, the middle child, Les Voyages de L'ame, Alcest just kinda... well... disappointed me, for a lack of better word. I listened so many times, yet felt nothing. It felt grandiose, but never delivered. "Sur L'Ocean Couleur de Fer" from Ecailles de Lune is better than all of these songs on this album. The instrumentals on this album are quite nice, but I wish they had done more with them. The vocals are beautiful as always, but never really changed pitch much. It was kinda like listening to a long, drawn-out, hum for an hour. I'm glad Alcest decided that he wanted to try a more shoegaze sound but this is more of the "cocoon" stage where it's changing but not necessarily its most beautiful. I'd give it a go if you're a fan and apparently most like it way more than I do. Give "Summer's Glory" or "Nous Sommes L'emeraude" a go, latter being probably my favorite on this disc. I give it a 2.5/5… Expand

Awards & Rankings

67
#67 Best Album of 2012

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
82

Universal acclaim - based on 10 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
  1. Exclaim
    Feb 24, 2012
    80
    The music contains all of the trembling beauty fans have come to expect from Alcest, combined with a sense of vitality and wanderlust.
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  2. Pitchfork
    Feb 15, 2012
    69
    Here, when everything's as clear as it is on Les Voyages de l'Âme, he feels almost too exposed, and the big climaxes he's reaching for don't arrive. There's no denying the beauty, but it feels weirdly muted-- or perhaps just unsurprising.
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  3. Beats Per Minute
    Feb 10, 2012
    66
    There's much to cherish here, but this isn't a complete effort.
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