Audiopile Review: Charlotte Marionneau aka Le Volume Courbe is a UK indie legend, despite being French and largely unknown. For those who do know, she’s mostly associated with the Creation Records milieu, especially My Bloody Valentine and Primal Scream. She has also worked with Piano Magic and that most foundational Creation influence the Television Personalities. And her latest album, ‘Planet Ping Pong’ features (checks notes) Noel Gallagher and the late Terry Hall! “Does she know the godlike Peter Hammill?” you inevitably ask. Sure, why not. Anyway, none of this name-dropping should obscure the fact that Le Volume Courbe makes enchantingly intimate chamber pop that deserves your attention on its own terms. ‘Planet Ping Pong’ is only the project’s third album in two decades, and it’s as carefully crafted as that work rate implies. But there’s also a frankly whimsical sense of spontaneity that ensures the results are as light as a soufflé.

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Le Volume Courbe, the long-running project of enigmatic UK musician Charlotte Marionneau makes her debut on Stereolab’s imprint Duophonic Records with her third LP entitled Planet Ping Pong. While punky and psychedelically soulful Le Volume Courbe releases are few and far between, Marionneau has made time in other projects since we last heard from her, namely playing the scissors in Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds. The Oasis leader pops up twice here, adding piano and guitars to two of the album’s standout tracks. However, it’s when Marionneau stands alone, leaning into Le Volume’s quirks that Planet Ping Pong really shines. The thread-bare accordion lament ‘Rêve Réveiller’ and the alien carnival-esque ‘To Know Him Is To Love Him’ are pure distillations of her unique power.