WoodKid | Iron

Woodkid - Iron from WOODKID on Vimeo.

Woodkid will undoubtedly be the first surprise of 2011. An unexpected arrival far from the manufactured buzz.

The young man, aged 28, has come with an EP of raw beauty, Iron. Woodkid is Yoann Lemoine, previously known for his career as a video director without fault (Yelle, Moby and more recently Katy Perry for "Teenage Dream").

The legend says that on a shoot in the USA, Woodkid received, straight from the hands of great American guitarist Richie Havens, a banjo that immediately replaced his piano, at least for a while. Without neglecting the videos (or film, which is part of projects), Woodkid decided to devote himself to music. Indeed, Yoann Lemoine made the video of Iron himself , which features Top Model Agyness Deyn.

The four tracks (plus two remixes of Iron by the English Mystery Jets and Gucci Vump, the duo of Brodinski and Guillaume Briere The Shoes), opens by the eponymous Iron, epic pop with a powerful mounted symphony, this first EP Woodkid (produced by Woodkid, Julien
Delfaud and Benjamin Lebeau also from The Shoes) immediately announces the influences of the young man.

We walk with the shadow of Antony and The Johnsons, Woodkid and Anthony could be kindred spirits of the voice. We can also hear the pretty folk influences of New York ("my heart belongs to Brooklyn, "sings Woodkid on the second track on the disc) and a melodic brilliance that leaves more than a glimpse of the song writing talent of Lemoine (which could flirt somewhere between Neil Hannon and Bonnie Prince Billy).

With ‘Iron’ we discover a universe of fragile grace. Four original songs, Iron, Brooklyn, Baltimore's Fireflies and Wasteland sometimes written on guitar, sometimes on piano, always with disconcerting ease, after one listen we are made feel like we are witnessing the creation of these wonderful stories with Woodkid himself.

Woodkid currently working on his album which includes some surprising collaborations ...