La Sécurité – Deny
Montreal quintet La Sécurité are wrapping up the campaign for Bingo!, their second album due June 12 via Bella Union and Mothland, with “Deny”, the fifth and final advance single. We covered the title track Bingo (W08) and Snack City (W14) earlier this year; “Deny” closes the run on a danceable note.
The track is built around a bass hook borrowed from Standard Emmanuel, the solo project of band member Félix, and it shows: the low end is the engine here, with guitars and synths cutting in around it rather than leading. It was originally written in French and translated into English, and the band’s description of its subject is about as direct as the music: “dysfunctional relationships and getting rid of burdens in your life. Standing up for yourself. This doesn’t work for me; I’m out.” The jerkier guitar and synth elements sit against that smooth rhythm section in a way that feels deliberately at odds, which is what gives the track its tension. What catches my ear is how blunt the vocals are: no attempt to prettify the sentiment, which suits the subject.
The video, directed by Béatrice Cuierrier-Legault and edited by Raphaëlle Fortin, gives each band member a distinct visual character, built from the group’s personal archives. Cuierrier-Legault describes it as a collage approach: “five characters were born, each representing a member and their unique traits.” The 90s and early internet references she works in fit naturally with La Sécurité’s existing aesthetic, which already leans on scrapbooking-style visuals courtesy of vocalist Melissa’s work on their vinyl artwork.
Bingo! arrives June 12.
