Raoul Vignal and the sublime emo iterations of "Qu'il pleuve"

 

"make it rain / to leave it all behind..."

The sublime emo iterations of "Qu'il pleuve" (Let it Rain) by Lyon, France singer-songwriter, artist Raoul Vignal feel comfortable within it's intimate conversational approach. Now, I don't speak / understand French so my view, my impression is as myopic as one who only feels the non-lexical emotional sweep of Vignal's voice by timbre, tone, lilt only, that is, except for an occasional refrain he sings in English, "Make it rain / to let it all grow" and "Make it rain / to leave it all behind" which I can only surmise are slightly altered last lines from a chorus sung in French like the rest of the song. Not understanding what is being sung is quite ok. It might hamper me by not fully knowing if the song is sadly reflective or simply sad but it suits me just fine on this snowy cold day ailing a very slight upset stomach. The emotional sense to me, the choppy acoustic strums and surprise chord shifts saturated with Vignal's vocal melodies that feel like declarative thoughts punctuated by emotional doubts somewhere between a Serge Gainsbourg and Elliot Smith tug at my sleeve and maybe even my heart.

LINER NOTES:

A native of Lyon, France, Raoul Vignal began performing solo at the age of 20. Throughout his stage performances, he weaves an intimate folk where his guitar playing (finger-picking and alternate tunings) establishes a subtle resonance with his soothing voice. He left his hometown in 2013 and moved to Berlin where he stayed for 2 years. After an instrumental soundtrack for the movie “Sweet Water of Memory” by Carlos Vin Lopes, he recorded his 1st album “The Silver Veil” in 2015–2016 at the Klangbild studio, with sound engineer Martin J. Fielder (who notably worked on Josh T. Pearson’s album “Last of the Country Gentlemen”). This opus was released by Talitres in 2017 and the many rave reviews (both in France and abroad) allowed Raoul Vignal to put together concert dates. On the strength of this experience, Raoul Vignal recorded his 2nd album “Oak Leaf” (2018) with his touring musicians. Raoul Vignal moved to Paris in early 2020. Far from the hustle and bustle of the capital, he began writing his third album in the privacy and calm of his kitchen. He then settled in the Lyon region, away from the urban bustle, in September 2020. And it's in the countryside that Raoul Vignal recorded 'Years in Marble'. With Lucien Chatin (drums) and Matteo Fabbri (sound engineer) as his only companions, he weaves captivating compositions with light shades and more spirited tempos. More hypnotic than ever, Raoul Vignal's music is both timeless and deeply embedded in our specific time.

-Robb Donker Curtius     

THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM 

https://www.facebook.com/raoulvignalmusic

https://raoulvignal.bandcamp.com/

https://soundcloud.com/raoulvignal

https://www.instagram.com/raoulvignal


Raoul Vignal was born in Lyon, France. Soothing vocals and a delicate fingerpicking technique stand as his trademarks in composition. His music has many times been referred to as "evocative".

Raoul Vignal, French singer songwriter, musician, acoustic folk, bedroom pop, emo, emo iterations, alt pop, grand, vast, intimate, sadly reflective, "Qu'il pleuve",