Volodia ADD

Review

Album Review: Volodia - L'Épopée

12/13/2024

by Gardy Stein

Epic [noun]: a long narrative poem in elevated style recounting the deeds of a legendary or historical hero

‘The Epic’, as the direct translation of Volodia’s new album L’Épopée suggests, seamlessly continues the journey started with Un Pied Sur Terre (‘One foot on the ground’) in 2016 and the beautiful Pour Toujours (‘Forever’) in 2022. Again, the French artist has crafted eleven original songs that speak of everyday challenges or deep inner reflections, and this down-to-earth-attitude is a welcome change from overtly religious musings of fellow reggae artists.     

The first song reveals Volodia’s determination to make it Solo, and the implementation of his art reflects this resolve. Not only does he have what it takes vocally to succeed, so firmly illustrated in this piece; he also signs responsible for most other creative task. Produced by Volodia himself (under the umbrella of his association Hiconik), he invited few other artists to complete his vision: Clement Touron plays drums on seven tracks, Yoann Minkoff joined on guitar for two tracks, and Laspla for mixing and mastering. “J’ai vu les étoiles filer dans ma tête, c’était trop beau!” (‘I’ve seen the stars align in my head, it was too beautiful!’)

Ce Que J’Ai Parcouru (‘What I have been through’) has an interesting rhythmic arrangement, with a beat that’s neither fully Reggae nor Hip Hop, but an exquisite mixture of both. Volodia’s staccato delivery underlines and complements this unusual instrumental, telling us about his roots and how much music means to him.

Songs like 10K Heures (‘10K hours’),  M’Élever (‘Lifting up myself’) and Mon Garden (‘My garden’) are closer to the offbeat culture the artist associates with, the last one even floating into a Nyabinghi riddim at 1:56. It is an uplifting suggestion to look at all the good things you have created in your life: “Regarde à tout ce que t’as planté, ta vie ne sera pas la même!” (‘Look at all the things you have planted, your life will never be the same!’).

Both A La Dérive (‘Drifting away’) and Eclaire-Moi (‘Enlighten me’) bring in some calmer flavors, asking important questions about our origins and destinations. While the sound tapestry is a rich one in most songs, these two are especially dense, with piano and  background harmonies in the former and intricate guitar patterns as well as a massive bass drum in the latter.

Next to this stylistic variety, the album hosts several vocal surprises as well. Thus, Appel Manqué (‘Missed call’) features Phases Cachées, a group on the Hip Hop side of things formed in 2006 by Cheeko, D'Clik and Volodia himself. Another band called Ryon joins in on Promesses (‘Promises’), a lively affair that almost reaches Ska tempo, while Davojah shares the mic with Volodia in the slower Regarde Le Ciel (‘’Watch the sky’). The title track then closes the album. It is the least reggae-ish song of all, but again a very personal one, telling the story of Volodia’s journey.

The young artist has often been praised for his vocal versatility, and L’Épopée is further proof that this claim has not been made in vain. From warm, emotional singing to powerful belting, from laid-back soul to fast-paced rap, it is a sheer joy to listen to Volodia’s voice and the fresh productions from the Hiconik kitchens. Bon Appetit!

---

Release details