𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘆’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿 – this week: Polaroid Revolt – Amaury Laurent Bernier

Welcome all to 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘆’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿, a series of weekly reviews by Charles Connolly – an artist in his own right. Here, Charles delves into the greatest brand new singles brought to you by the best unsigned artists on our electrifying and eclectic set of 𝙉𝙚𝙬 𝘼𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙨𝙩 𝙎𝙥𝙤𝙩𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 playlists.

𝙋𝙤𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙤𝙞𝙙 𝙍𝙚𝙫𝙤𝙡𝙩 – 𝘼𝙢𝙖𝙪𝙧𝙮 𝙇𝙖𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝘽𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙚𝙧

Charles snaps the best…

Those of you who never read my articles (which is fine) but for some reason pretend you do (which is not fine), make this one the one you actually read. But then again, those who don’t read them won’t read this, so that was pointless even to write. Moving on! Okay. So this review probably doesn’t come as much of a surprise to many of you. But I have a LOT to say. Before we get into the month of Christmas, it seems like a good time to look at the year that has little more than a twelfth left. Dwelling on gloom isn’t the best idea. Worldly speaking, it has certainly been an eventful year, what with one thing and another. There has of course been the usual tranche of celebrity deaths and ones closer to home too – but we said we wouldn’t be dwelling on the negative side of things. Let us look at the best of what has happened this year. Umm… Er… Okay, let’s change that thought. Let’s turn our attention to music. Yeah, that might be more uplifting. How’s about we look at the best albums of the year…? Yes!! What a glorious feast of fun that will be! Ah, I’m already drooling over the prospect of such a musing.

Can we really ignore ‘The Life of a Showgirl’, Taylor Swift’s latest masterpiece…? Yes. Yes, we can. How about ‘The Boy Who Played the Harp’, the brand new album from Dave…? After all, everyone says it’s a stroke of genius… But I wouldn’t say so. Of course, there was The Weeknd’s ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’ – well that certainly passed me by well within a weeknd. There were plenty of good EPs, but I’m strictly doing LPs only. Okay, let’s speed this up for YOUR sake. Here’s a list of megastars that for me completely missed the mark in 2025: Ringo Starr, Lady Gaga, Ed Sheeran, Miley Cyrus, Arcade Fire, Pete Doherty, White Lies, Alison Goldfrapp, Lorde, Justin Bieber. With their success, they really should be releasing nothing but gold. This is instead Fool’s Gold: R.I.P. Mani. So, what about the inbetweeners…? Bon Iver, Beirut, Sam Ryder, Garbage, Barbra Streisand. These were all good, but not brilliant. Suede was very good, I must say. As was Tame Impala. But with my strictest of standards, I just needed a little more. And now for the very best of the year. These are what I would call the humdingers of 2025 so far (in no particular order): C. Duncan, Sam Fender, Alcotomic, Doves, The Mars Volta, Hayley Williams, Wolf Alice, Jacob Collier, The Last Dinner Party, Sabrina Carpenter, Robert Plant, and Allie X. With a bonus round of something classical and something jazzy… The classical is ‘Images. Hommage à Marcel Tournier’ by Emmanuel Ceysson, Véronique Gens & Quatuor Voce. The jazzy is ‘By All Means’ by Aaron Parks. However, the albums I see myself playing in a decade or two would probably be the ones by Doves, Wolf Alice and The Last Dinner Party. This concludes my personal summing up of this year in music. The thing is, I have left one LP off the list…

What is “best”? Of course it’s subjective. It’s just taste. For example, I’m absolutely sure that many of you are seething, spitting or fuming from my thoughts. Which is fine. These are my thoughts; you have your own. There is no finite “answer”. But sometimes there are things that go beyond taste. When something is factually the best… Which brings me on to that one I missed off the list. I believe it to be the very best that anyone within the New Artist Spotlight has released this year. I also believe it to be one of the best albums released in the whole of the world’s 2025 releases. I speak not of a superstar and neither of a has-been. I am talking about a man who spends most of his time making music for film. A man who – despite being French (there’s no excuse) – lives in Germany, wearing a bow tie and a velvet jacket. His hair flops to one side as his neatly clasped hands lie comfortably upon a folded knee. This calm, slender frame is actually bursting with energy from within (despite the exhaustion), because he has JUST released a rather special thing. An album. An LP. It is called ‘Polaroid Revolt’. An 11-track masterpiece. Madames et monsieurs, Christmas just came early. Not TOO early, but at just the right time. Here’s Amaury Laurent Bernier!

Amaury has been piecing this thing together for the past year, making sure that when it is finally released, he can sit back in his leather armchair (mulled wine at hand), with utter satisfaction that he did everything within his control to make the whole experience just that. An experience for himself and for the masses. This is so much more than a few songs cobbled together, and an Instagram post on release day. I said he did everything “within his control”… Some things are beyond our own control. Sometimes we just have to rely on others… Anyone who played the album on day one (Friday) probably didn’t get the full experience. Amaury’s distributor messed up. It’s incredible and frankly unforgivable this kind of thing happening. And so frequently. On day one, although the titles seemed fine, tracks 3 and 5 had identical audio. I cannot imagine what a hoof to the face this was for Amaury. After just EVERYTHING he had done in order to make sure the experience was as perfect as possible (he is very much a perfectionist), and then at the last hurdle (not supposed to be a hurdle but a finish line – and start line), THIS!! Thankfully, he didn’t let it get to him. He laughed (probably through gritted teeth), and sorted the problem. Thankfully, everything else seems to have gone without a hitch. 24 hours later, all is well in the world. For me, Day Two is Day One. And THAT’S when I listened. Saturday evening. I have listened to the whole record from beginning to end a total of 7 times so far (although I imagine that figure to grow during the writing of this article).

Does anyone else kill albums by playing them far too many times? I keep telling myself not to do this, but I just can’t help it. If an album is that good, I want to squeeze it dry. I was thinking about this recently, and actually wondering if this is necessarily a bad thing. Think of what we put into holidays. Or vacations, as you might call it. So much planning. So much money. And all for that brief moment of perfection. We remember those times with fondness though. It was never supposed to be forever. BUT!! I like things to last. I like to create a tradition. And those greatest of albums are like fond traditions that I frequently come back to throughout the subsequent decades. So, I think what I should probably do is squeeze it just dry enough. So it’s not dripping anymore, but still remains moist to the touch. The atmosphere’s humidity can keep its heart beating like a pacemaker. I have not killed this album in the slightest. In fact, I am already looking forward to the next “session”. It is very much alive and kicking!

Aside from killing albums by playing them too much, you can also commit similar sins by not listening enough… Of course, that first listen of any album is always special because you never know what’s coming, but I do think familiarity can enhance one’s pleasure of an album. Pre-empting the BAH! or the air guitar interlude is almost more exciting BECAUSE you know it’s coming. Or how’s about when the horns hit? Throwing your head forward with every beat BECAUSE you know how it goes. Or how’s about knowing that line is coming? When the Dalek says “Would you like a cup of tea?”… More satisfying and amusing every time. To know an album is to be in love with an album. No one can be in love with an album without knowing it well. The same goes for people. I put music on the same level as people. But music doesn’t moan. Well, some does, but I don’t listen to moany music. Where was I…? Oh yes. If you liked the album, there is absolutely no reason to think of it as “ticked off”. You can have that fabulous feeling again, but even more enhanced. You have this for life. Don’t let it disappear. Don’t let it grow old and evaporate.

‘Polaroid Revolt’ is the best of everything I love the most. The Beatles. Supergrass. The Dear Hunter. Kaminski. 10cc. Jacob Collier. Rufus Wainwright. Charles Connolly. Elbow. Queens of the Stone Age. Doves. Wings. E.L.O…. Actually, I don’t really like E.L.O. much, but there ya go. It just goes to show that sometimes an artist’s influence can be “better” than the original, but most importantly: different. Speaking of squeezing until dry… Amaury is a sponge, a mimic and an artist. Whatever sound is in his head, he can – and will – make it exactly. So yes; a mimic of the little voice in his head. That kooky little chap, Amaury. He had to get it from somewhere… He just follows the voices in his head. And if anyone says Beatles or McCartney (yes, I know I mentioned The Beatles), I will SCREAM!! While there might be notable influences, this LP goes FAR beyond any of that stuff. This is originality at its finest.

Listening parties have become a popular thing lately, where fans are asked to join the party in order to listen to the album together, with the artist, just before the release. Think of it like a film première, but for music. Amaury thought this to be a fun idea. There was a listening party… Which I ceremoniously missed… I told him the following day that I was busy, but in actual fact I completely forgot. Brilliant. He puts in all that effort, recording special parts just for the listening show, responding to comments live, and generally being brilliant all over again, and what do I do? I forget. Wonderful. Lovely. Anyhoo, I can’t go back in time. At least I’m doing this. Which believe me, takes far more time and effort than turning up to a listening party. Anyway, I gather it went well. Sorry Amaury. I did however watch his podcast hosted by the New Artist Spotlight around a week or so before the album was released. It was one of the best podcasts I’ve seen in a while, and it only made me warm to him more, making me even more eager to listen to the album. Genuine excitement!

You’re probably waiting in anticipation to hear what I think of the actual music… I’m sure you want me to do one of my frequent CC deep dives and get into the nitty-gritty… Well, I’m not really going to. That’s not quite the purpose of this “review”. I’m sure other reviewers will be doing that. I would however like to touch on Amaury’s voice. It somehow manages to have fragility, yet unfounded pep. It’s a diverse voice for a diverse record. But that’s not quite what I wanted to talk about. I want to talk about accents. I don’t mean the BAH! kind of accent. I mean the accent of a voice; or more specifically: foreign accents. Now, I’m going to say something that some might think is controversial and perhaps even contentious, but considering how many people have agreed with me over the years, it seems to be quite a popular thought and feeling. What it is is this. I don’t tend to go for foreign accents in songs when the language is English. It just often jars on me. I never mind it remotely when it’s in their native language. Then again, there are also many native accents I can’t stand in song when it’s in English. Neil Hannon from The Divine Comedy, and Tom DeLonge from blink-182 (and all other Kermits), for just a couple of examples. The thing is, Amaury’s fully accented voice should irritate me. It really should. So should Kaminski’s. But as it is, I am adamant that (having never heard an alternative native voice, for there isn’t one) these foreign accents accentuate the song and the person, and therefore the art. It does more to me, and it is yet more original. Basically, I love it!

Which brings me on to “syllable emphasis”… What on Earth is THAT??! Good question. We’ll get to that in a bit. But first, let me mention who does what. All 11 tracks were written, arranged, produced, orchestrated, recorded and performed by Amaury Laurent Bernier, including vocals, guitars, mandolin, banjo, cello, violin, piano, keys, FX, bass & percussion. “That SURELY must be it then, no?” No. Not by a long way. Throughout the album, Clytus McKidd is on drums, Björn McAteer Dahlberg is on saxophone and clarinet, and Virginia Luehrsen on trumpet (yes, that’s our very own NAS dudette otherwise known as Blues Trainer). “God, wow! So that MUST be it, right?” – Nope. The final track has Yulia Korotkova on violin, Stanislava Korotkova on viola, and Heike Schuch on cello. “This is incredible! No WONDER this album sounds so g-“… I haven’t finished. The magnificent interlude of Track 6 would sit well on a modern Coldplay record. Ya know: the kind of track that makes you realise you’re listening to a truly pro album. The kind of track that emphasises the experience of the record. The kind of “throwaway” track that sounds as though it cost more to make than other artists’ entire album… This track demanded the experience of Stefan Pintev, Dana Anka and Rodrigo Reichel on violin and viola, Boris Matchin on cello, Shere Fraser on flute, and Virginia Luehrsen on speech. But there’s a male voice there… Could it be…? Yep, it’s our very own NAS founder, Ed Eagle, for a line or so – all spoken. The whole album was then mixed by not one, but FOUR mixing engineers: Samuel Schwenk, Kian Moghaddamzadeh, Hannah Schmeiser and NAS dude Andres Guazzelli, and finally all mastered by Andres too. The artwork was by Stefie B, using polaroids taken by Amaury. And THAT is why this album sounds so pro. Because every single aspect of it has been handled by the best doing what they do best.

“What about that syllable emphasis thing you mentioned before…?” – Ah yes. I forgot about that. Well, that was my input for the album. Early on in the process, Amaury came to me with the lyrics and rough demos of the songs so far. He wanted me to make sure the lyrics were fine, bearing in mind English is not his native language. I had pretty much nothing negative to say about the lyrics. There was however this thing about the stress of various words, where he would put the emphasis on the wrong syllable of the word. I went through it all with him. Of course, if this were to be rectified, the words would have to change, for the sake of scansion. He was delighted with my pointers (thorough and in colour-coded spreadsheet form). And you know what I love most about this? He ignored pretty much every single one of my suggestions. And I’m genuinely pleased. It’s just one of the many things that makes this such a unique album. It isn’t usual. Blur’s Damon Albarn did this with words: liTERally CONfusing yet EXciting TO say THE least. It just works. Amaury makes things work. And I’m officially there in the credits for “syllable emphasis”, showing you the kind of grace, respect and humour this Frenchman possesses. And speaking of his personality, get THIS for modesty and charm. On Saturday evening I said to him how I had listened 4 times in a row. His reply? “As long as the sound is muted, you’re okay”!! He is the opposite of LISTEN TO MY MUSIC. And even this listen-to-my-music manner is absolutely fine, providing the artist has something truly worth listening to. This artist does.

Flawless production; impeccable mixing. It basically doesn’t get much better than this. And it doesn’t matter if you’re listening on high end monitor speakers or a phone speaker (it does, but we’ll ignore that); the sound is always brilliant, balanced and thoroughly enjoyable through just about any “device”. I don’t drive, but I suspect it sounds fabulous in the car too. I would advise this album for a drive, though. At just half an hour long, it is as journey-plenty as his film scores.

Yes, I am aware this review is absolutely all over the place, but it feels in keeping with the diverse excitement of the album. And yes, I can hear you shouting “But you didn’t actually say anything about the bloody music in any way!!” – I know. That’s because music is for hearing. For listening to. And that’s where YOU come in. The way I listen to music is perhaps not normal. Squatting in the corner with an open packet of ham (this may or may not be factually correct). But I urge you to respect the music even a quarter as much as I do. To actually LISTEN, as opposed to have it on in the background, then skip to something else after two and a bit tracks, not because you weren’t liking it but because your modern urge of quick change got the better of you. To keep your limbs busy, I would advise doing something manual. Something that doesn’t require your mind. Then your mind can focus on the music. I would also advise earphones or headphones. It’s simply more immersive, and it’s portable. But if you’d really like to show your respect to the music, how about purchasing a vinyl record from Amaury…? That’s right, folks! He’s gone all out on this one. Tap here to get your hands on a most spectacular vinyl record with all the trimmings! Have a look; it will astound you. Think Beatles-Super-Deluxe kind of quality… The good news is, Amaury’s album is a lot more honed than this article. But neither involved the slightest bit of HAL (A.I.). These are strictly human endeavours for a reason. We’re all human underneath.

‘Polaroid Revolt’ marks the year anniversary of my ‘Hands Up!’ album. Roughly. Which is perhaps one reason why Amaury’s album means so much to me. I know how it feels (in terms of exhaustion and satisfaction) to make a proper ALBUM album.

Listen out for the Daleks that keep making appearances throughout the LP…

I will place one track on the Connolly’s Corner playlist which might change over time. But I am craving to know which is YOUR favourite and why? LET US KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW!!! They’re all very different, and my favourite has changed around 10 or 11 times…! No. My favourite is ‘Polaroid Revolt’ – the album.

🎶 When the moon hits your eye like a big glass of wine, that’s Amaury 🎶

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