V2 / Wasabi
1998
Ca Va
About This Album
Released in 1998, Slapp Happy's Ça Va was the first album issued by the trio of Dagmar Krause, Peter Blegvad, and Anthony Moore since the mid-'70s collaboration with Henry Cow, Desperate Straights. The arty instrumentation and arrangements of the early days -- which ranged from a rather twisted version of British folk-pop to avant cabaret to (in collaboration with Henry Cow) confrontational art rock and even pure sonic experimentation -- are gone, replaced by a more commercial blend of pop music sounds, including looped samples. Nearly everything is played by Blegvad and Moore, whose vocals sound as engaging as they ever have, with Blegvad the literate and somewhat eccentric transatlantic singer/songwriter and Moore mining moodier John Cale-styled pop/rock territory. Dagmar, however, has nearly abandoned the more boldly uncompromising and theatrical features of her earlier singing with both Slapp Happy and the Art Bears; she retains aspects of her highly original and idiosyncratic vocal style while sounding much more straightforward and at times even romantic. So has Slapp Happy sold out? If you equate broadly appealing music with selling out, perhaps, but because Ça Va is probably Slapp Happy's most accessible effort does not detract from the album's artistry.
Track List (try tracks 1,2,4 and 9)

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