Privé is the fourth record from Sydney born Geno Carrapetta. Releasing one album a year since 2011 alongside touring and recording with a number of different bands (most recently Gentlemen and Dark Bells) he’s collected an eclectic range of influences along the way. Recorded at his home in London with his Gentlemen band mate Paul Housden, the album offers a different take on the ever growing psych-rock resurgence that’s been made popular recently by the likes of Temples, Pond and Toy. The record is something of a concept album; a love letter to the French films and music of the 60s and 70s, which provides a nice thread that ties together Carrapetta’s diverse musical tastes. The opening track ‘Ouvert’, sounds like a twisted, dark tribute to Serge Gainsbourg. The dreamy vocals that mirror the melancholy strings really does make you feel like you could be in a black and white French New Wave film, smoking cigarettes in street cafes and exchanging longing glances. The album is written as though it’s a film soundtrack too; the main theme from ‘Ouvert’ crops up again under the guise of the minute long interlude ‘Mémoire’ and again in the closing and title track ‘Privé’. Geno Carrapetta // Éternité from Geno Carrapetta on Vimeo. It genuinely feels as though it’s spinning a narrative, although it’s difficult to put your finger on exactly what the story is. There’s a sense of introversion and self-reflection, especially in the two-part ‘A Gentlemen Never Asks’/’A Gentlemen Never Tells’, which both feature prog-rocky electric guitar jams and trashy cymbals, with snippets of spoken French that drift in and out. Interspersing the sultry feel of the record though, are some gratifying guitar wails and epic drum sounds that seem to have rockier, even hair metal inspired roots. The short but sweet ‘Soleil’ or the extended guitar solo of ‘Le Triangle Rouge’ wouldn’t be out of place on a Bill and Ted soundtrack. Strangely enough, it works pretty well at injecting some energy into what could have otherwise become quite a sleepy record. The first single ‘Èternitè’ is a return to the laid back, brooding tone, but brings out more of a revivalist psych-pop influence. Carrapetta’s unearthly voice drifts over long synth waves and delayed drum samples, and sounds as if it could have come from the mind of Connan Mockasin. Privé marks the first full album release from the fast growing RIP Records, and is a step towards the more experimental than the rest of the label’s roster, which includes Temple Songs, Half Loon and Tangerines. Despite the introspective nature of the record though, it manages to stay pretty accessible, and the dreamy, atmospheric vibe make for a great soundtrack to long, warm summer evenings. Privé is available for digital download here from 2^nd June. It can also be streamed exclusively here.   Ami Lord @ami__lord