The era
Rahim Redcar began with
Redcar les adorables étoiles was all about defying musical expectations and creating a musical world distinct from any of the project's previous work.
Redcar described the music from this period as "an operatic gesture." That's a perfect description of
Paranoïa, Angels, True Love, an album even more ambitious and overtly theatrical than its predecessor. Like
Redcar, it borrows from the mythical, spiritual storytelling of
Tony Kushner's Angels in America, but its explorations of loss (
Redcar was grieving the loss of his mother as well as a breakup while making the album) as a catalyst for becoming feel notably different. Where
Redcar swirled together several different styles,
Paranoïa concentrates on spacious songs with lengthy passages that seem equally primed for dance numbers or deep contemplation.
Redcar's masterful ballads make up the introspective heart of the album and provide many of its highlights. Set to a hypnotic trip-hop beat, "Tears Can Be So Soft" is a quietly cathartic testament to sitting with grief; "To Be Honest" and "A Day in the Water" are quintessential examples of
Redcar's luminous synth pop; and the exquisite yearning of "Flowery Days" uses little more than piano and bass to brilliant effect. On moments like these,
Paranoïa feels much more naked and lonely than
Redcar, but it's one of
Redcar's most collaborative works. He previously worked with rapper
070 Shake on the single "Body," and their reunion on "True Love" is a standout, blending heartache and sensuality with the effortless warmth that has been one of
Redcar's greatest strengths since
Chaleur Humaine.
Paranoïa uses another brilliant pop artist in a decidedly non-pop way:
Madonna appears as an angelic artificial intelligence and gives convincingly ethereal spoken-word performances when she visits
Redcar during his darkest moments ("Angels Crying in My Bed," "I Met an Angel") and epiphanies (the triumphant resolution of "Lick the Light Out"). These aren't the only instances where
Redcar takes risks on
Paranoïa, Angels, True Love. "Track 10" is a striking 11-minute crucible for the album's sorrow, anger, desire, and joy, with a seismic sub-bass driving its transformative ritual of dance; though the choral noise-rock of "He's Been Shining for Ever, Your Son" and the snarling, prowling "Let Me Touch You Once" (another
070 Shake collaboration) are shorter, they're just as uncompromising. However, the room
Redcar affords himself to experiment sometimes dulls the album's impact. The vocoder and riff-heavy reprise of "Overture" feels unnecessary, and while "Big Eye" initially provides a feeling of closure, it doesn't expand on that mood much as it stretches out for nearly eight minutes. Though
Redcar fully commits to
Paranoïa, Angels, True Love's sweeping scope, as a whole it doesn't feel as rewarding as the diamond-like clarity and brilliance of
Chris or
La Vita Nuova. Even if it's missing some of the electrifying immediacy of those works, there's a lot of challenging and emotionally powerful music here for fans to appreciate. ~ Heather Phares