LA SÉCURITÉ

With sophomore full-length Bingo!, La Sécurité have crafted yet another genuine and inspired collection of beautiful curiosities. Following up on their critically-acclaimed debut Stay Safe! (June 16th, 2023 via Mothland), the five-piece further implement polyrhythms, counter-intuitive chord changes, as well as subtle melodic and harmonic dissonance. The resulting forays into subversive pop are catchy and dancey, while also challenging the listener via eclectic, often edgy arrangements. The album sees the Montréal/Tiohtià:ke collective introduce even more elements from no wave, noise rock, and shoegaze to their signature alloy of bilingual “spring-loaded post-punk” (Post-Trash), all the while “channeling art punk and new wave into something jittery, confrontational, and irresistibly kinetic.” (Range)

Whether tackling knotty themes such as mental health (“Power Snoozer”), the autonomization of women (“Princesse”), or dysfunctional relationships (“Deny”) with moxie, humorly musing about food (“Snack City”), addressing everyday mundanity with a sarcastic tone (“Ketchup”), or simply celebrating unsung heroes such as the elderly (“Bingo”); songs from Bingo! are all at once snarky and heartfelt, delinquent and benevolent. La Sécurité also shed the stigma around sexual workers with “Trixie”, while asking to be left alone on franco egg punk earworm “Nah Nah”, and debunking myths around new relationship energy (N.R.E.) on deep cut “Chill Pill”. As was the case on previous recordings (a noteworthy example being feminist anthem "Hot Topic"), many tracks saw the group improvise lyrics in the studio, effectively catching lightning in a bottle.

While writing the album, the group—Éliane Viens (vocals, synthesizers, percussion, drums), Félix Bélisle (bass, synthesizers, percussion, piano, production), Kenny Smith (drums, guitar), Laurence Anne Charest-Gagné (guitar, percussion, vocals), and Melissa Di Menna (guitar, synthesizers, vocals, percussion, artworks)—indulged in jazz-tinged musical envolées, improvising many of the hooks to be found on the record. Songs were then carefully encapsulated by engineer Renny Wilson (Nap Eyes, Mitch Davis, Faith Healer, etc.), using rare ribbon microphones and vintage compressors—with the band playing live off-the-floor—before being mixed by co-producers Bélisle and Emmanuel Éthier (Corridor, Population II, Chocolat, etc.) and mastered by Robin Schmidt (Pixies, The Hives, Viagra Boys, etc.). In turn, Bingo! (June 12th, 2026 via Bella Union & Mothland) aptly harnesses La Sécurité’s natural sound, which fuses calculated musical chaos and uncanny musicality in dealing a powerful and distinct barrage of decibels.