Alcest – ‘Kodama’ CD

Alcest’s fifth studio album, ‘Kodama,’ is a concept album that draws its inspiration from the Japanese word for “tree spirit” and “echo.” It marks the French duo’s return to the stylistic maximalism of its early albums while continuing the band’s relentless pursuit for new sounds and fresh ideas.

The album is heavily influenced by bands like The Smashing Pumpkins, Tool, Dinosaur Jr, Grimes and The Cure and combines poetic elements with darker ones that were not present in Alcest’s earlier works.

The visuals of the album, realized by French graphic designer duo Førtifem, pay tribute to Japanese illustrators like Takato Yamamoto.

The production of the album is one of the reasons it is as beautiful as it is, everything sounds so clean. The guitars have an ethereal sound, supported by the drums and keyboards.

By giving the album a cultural, stylistic and compositional narrative, Neige and Winterhalter make ‘Kodama’ a vital, relevant record from a pioneer that not only upholds the band’s trailblazing legacy but actually makes you want to see where they go next.