Considering himself more an author than a songwriter, Bastien Lallemant tells darkly charming stories based upon his love of early 80s Gothic music. To go against the grain of pop culture, Lallemant hires percussionists who play pots and pans instead of actual drums and released The Orchard (2010) as a 48 page hardcover book, featuring his illustrations and photos of monochromatic loners, dogs and guns. Other musicians, like Parisian songstress Armelle Pioline Holden, have jumped at the chance to record duets with Lallement--just listen to the mysterious melancholy of La Plage (translated as The Beach) and its riveting melodies. Bastien Lallemant doesn't ever strain his voice to hit unreachable notes; instead he focuses on lightly phrasing his parables as hauntingly simple as he possibly can.
