“It’s neither comfortable nor particularly beautiful,” remarked Welsh art-pop veteran Cate Le Bon in 2019 regarding the chair she had designed in conjunction with her fifth album, ‘Reward,’ following a year spent immersed in David Bowie and a course in furniture design. The same description could apply to her music, which doesn’t distract you from your problems or conform to the patterns of typical pop hits. Instead, it often prompts profound and sometimes painful reflections, delivering the refined pleasure of engaging with something larger than just sound.
Indeed, I'm speaking of pure art, which doesn't need to be cozy or attractive. It isn’t required to be clear or cheerful either. Often, the most compelling art is that which remains beyond full understanding. Le Bon describes her approach to crafting ‘Michelangelo Dying’ as lacking reason, filled with repetition and chaos, stating, “I ultimately permitted myself to have an empty mind to experience it without resistance and without seeking a revelation.” In a sense, this album feels like an impressive painting that captivates from the very first sight—connecting with your subconscious without any apparent rationale.
When Le Bon sings, “And Michelangelo dying” in the standout track ‘Love Unrehearsed,’ laden with surreal metaphors like “marble face” and “I’m off the hook / And I’m on the plate,” it evokes images of opulent canvases from the Renaissance and Romantic eras. Beginning with graceful, layered melodies rooted in her obvious musical influences, she elevates nearly every song to a dramatic or introspective catharsis with just a few phrases or a fleeting instrumental interlude.
Among the clear references to David Bowie, Talking Heads, and Nico, one can also discern a multitude of unconventional music’s true luminaries, including Siouxsie Sioux, Kate Bush, Elizabeth Fraser, and John Cale. The raspy voice of the latter resonates dramatically in the background of the penultimate track, the ethereal and elegiac art pop confession ‘Ride.’ His mournful refrain, “It’s a ride / It’s my last ride,” recalls the poignant laments of Iggy Pop, Nick Cave, or even David Sylvian’s somber turn on Lucrecia Dalt’s track ‘Cosa Rara.’
In the uplifting tribute to rebirth ‘Body as a River,’ nostalgia intensifies further. Paul Jones’ grand piano tones permeate the song, invoking echoes of The Velvet Underground’s most legendary track, while Le Bon manages to transform this piece, along with every other song on the album, into something entirely original, molding it into her distinctive sound. This sensation persists throughout the album, as if a truly talented painter had revisited themes previously explored by renowned predecessors and reimagined them into a brand new piece of art.
The pivotal role in this reimagining of familiar musical themes belongs to the elusive yet essential saxophone contributions of Euan Hinshelwood, Le Bon’s long-time collaborator. Whether in ‘Mothers of Riches,’ where the sax buzzes like a chainsaw—both sophisticated and harsh—or in the late-night noir ballad ‘Heaven Is No Feeling,’ where its presence is understated yet significant, it consistently serves as an anchor and the backbone of the album.
“Play it right / Give me nothing to rely on,” Le Bon sings in the dreamlike opener ‘Jerome,’ outlining her own dualistic perspective. “I know what’s nice / I know what’s nice,” she repeats with conviction in the album’s closing track ‘I Know What’s Nice’—and she undoubtedly does. A persistent sensation throughout the record is that of experiencing a playlist of the best songs from the past, reimagined and pushed much further.
All of this stemmed from personal pain—a long-term relationship ending, illness, and fatigue. Initially intending to create a more polished follow-up to 2022’s ‘Pompeii,’ Le Bon ultimately decided to delay its release by a year. Her new aim was to “dive into something simply because you know you must, instead of resisting it,” and she embraced that challenge without trepidation.
Having shaved her head and confronted her pain, Le Bon produced something that transcends her personal struggles, potentially evolving into something more lasting than her own life. Inheriting the creative explorations of her idols, she advanced their artistic endeavors as a true scientist or great artist would—fearlessly and unflinchingly, both with herself and her audience. “It’s been discombobulating,” Le Bon summarizes her work on the album. But was it worthwhile?
“Is it worth it?” she asks hypnotically in perhaps the most stark and enigmatic birthday greeting in music history, ‘Is It Worth It (Happy Birthday),’ seemingly inquiring about her journey through personal turmoil and our own opinions on its results—‘Michelangelo Dying.’ Each listener is free to arrive at their own conclusion regarding this question—ours is provided below.
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“It’s neither comfortable nor especially beautiful,” remarked Welsh art-pop veteran Cate Le Bon in 2019 regarding the chair she created by the time of its release.