My DJ Pick of the Week is "Deadly Valentine," from Charlotte Gainsbourg's terrific new album Rest.

Gainsbourg has a distinguished career in acting, even winning the Best Actress award at Cannes in 2009 for Antichrist. When she chooses to record music, it is in the form of heavy collaboration with different figures for each album. In the past, she has worked with Jarvis Cocker, Air, and Beck, as each subsequent release manages to also build on her own signature sound, heavily influenced by her father, Serge Gainsbourg. For Rest, Gainsbourg primarily works with French producer Sebastian, though Danger Mouse, Owen Pallett, Paul McCartney, and Daft Punk's Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo all pop up in various capacities.

The album primarily deals with grief and loss, with occasional nods to child-rearing or even love. While "Deadly Valentine" fits in seamlessly with this mournful, yet urgent vibe, it can mislead, because once one looks at the lyrics on the page, it plays like a straightforward set of wedding vows. It's but one of many instances in Gainsbourg's music where she subverts initial impressions in a captivating way.

Charlotte Gainsbourg's Rest is one of my favorite albums of the year so far, and "Deadly Valentine" is a great entry point to her music.

Resources

Charlotte Gainsbourg - Official Site