Frères Sourires (17): Arthur H

If you're the son of a famed songwriter and comedian, you might feel the weight of your heritage whilst getting your own career started. Or feel blocked, frustrated, unable to carry that weight, or the comparison. Arthur Higelin (1966) never had those problems, although he did shorten his name. Jacques Higelin, for he's the dad, was an influence on his son's music, as were Gainsbourg, Vian and Waits. Arthur H debuted in 1990 with a self-titled cd, made with two other musicians. A smokey-barroom of an album, featuring selfpenned songs and a jolly version of Piaf's Padam Padam. For his next album he extended his band, and worked on his flamboyant stage-show - the first steps young master Higelin took to building a firm live-reputation. So far, H has made ten albums (Trouble-Fête is my favourite), and none sounds the same. Okay, well, that's not completely true: H likes to experiment with sounds, genres and instrumentation, but his voice stays the same. It sounds forced at times, like he's parodizing ravine-jazz-Serge or piano-has-been-drinking-Tom, but his rough pipes sure add to the atmosphere. Showtime (2006) is his latest effort, featuring a funny duet with that other French singer with a famous dad and a shortened name: M(athieu Chedid). This is Arthur's official site, and yes, he's on YouTube.

Arthur H - Padam Padam (from Arthur H)
Arthur H - Le Baron Noir (from Trouble Fête)
Arthur H - Une Rose pour Madame X (from Madame X)
Arthur H & Feist - La Chanson de Satie (from Adieu Tristesse)
Arthur H & M - Est-ce que tu aimes (from Showtime)
Arthur H & Françoise Hardy - Les Sédiments (from Hardy's Parenthèses-album)