Indochine are generally associated with their mid-'80s output rather than what followed afterward. The first three
Indochine albums,
L'Aventurier (1982),
Le Péril Jaune (1983), and
3 (1985), established them as one of France's most exciting rock bands of the era, spawning new wave classics such as "L'Aventurier," "3e Sexe," and "Tes Yeux Noirs." The band subsequently fell out of favor with fans and critics during the 1990s, when the albums
Le Baiser (1990),
Un Jour Dans Notre Vie (1993), and
Wax (1996) failed to generate much interest or any major hits. After the passing of bandmember
Stéphane Sirkis in 1999,
Indochine mounted a remarkable comeback with
Paradize (2002), a blockbuster success that charted for nearly two years and spent 31 weeks in the Top Ten. The album spawned half a dozen hit singles, including the chart-topping smash hit "J'ai Demandé à la Lune" and the Top Ten hit "Le Grand Secret." The follow-up album,
Alice & June (2005), was fairly successful as well, spawning a few Top 20 hit singles ("Alice & June," "Ladyboy," "Adora") and a well-attended concert tour.
La République des Meteors,
Indochine's third post-millennial album, is a continuation of
Paradize and
Alice & June in many ways. The band carries onward with the highly produced electro-rock style of its past couple albums. As always, razor-sharp guitar riffs drive most songs, yet
La République des Meteors is also filled with programmed drums, synthesizer blasts, and lots of electronic effects, plus an occasional use of distorted vocals. All these stylistic characteristics are crammed into the rousing album-opening song, "Go, Rimbaud Go!" Another continuation of
Indochine's past couple albums is the songwriting collaboration between founding bandmember
Nicola Sirkis and relatively new addition Oli de Sat (born Olivier Gérard), who joined the band at the turn of the century. The two are co-credited with writing almost every song on
La République des Meteors, with the notable exception of "Le Lac," an album highlight credited to
François Matuszenski that is a mid-album twist, driven by piano and strings rather than guitar and synthesizer. Like the past couple albums, this one boasts several standout tracks with hit potential, not only "Le Lac" but also "Little Dolls," "Un Ange à Ma Table," and "Play Boy." While fans of
Indochine's past couple albums will find plenty to enjoy on
La République des Meteors, another impressive effort by the band, it lacks the freshness of
Paradize and, to a lesser extent,
Alice & June. Those albums were an exciting change of direction for
Indochine after the band lost its way during the 1990s.
La République des Meteors, on the other hand, is a continuation of the band's direction in recent years.