Clattermouuuth’s Music of The Week: ‘Pourquoi’ by Cortex

Welcome back to Clattermouuuth’s Music of the Week, curating Rockaway’s music taste one week at a time. I’m currently writing this article from France, so it only felt right to highlight a French album I’ve been listening to a lot lately: “Pourquoi” by Cortex.

I know what you might be thinking—French music? Really? But I encourage you to try something new. Isn’t that what life’s about? Even if you don’t understand the lyrics, I promise you, with Cortex, the lyrics aren’t the centerpiece of the experience.

You may have already heard of Cortex through their 1975 album “Troupeau Bleu,” which has been sampled heavily in hip-hop by artists like MF DOOM, Tyler, the Creator and Baby Keem. But “Pourquoi,” released in 2017, hasn’t gotten nearly the love it deserves. It’s a great gateway into exploring non-English music, especially since the band has mentioned that they are mainly inspired by U.S.-based artists like Ray Charles.

There’s never a dull moment on this album. Even if you’re not following the lyrics, there’s always something to latch onto—the keyboard, the bass, the drums. It’s very Stevie Wonder-esque in that way: every instrument is doing something interesting at all times.

My favorite track is “Le Visionnaire.” It’s got this wild synth moment early on that immediately grabs your attention, and by the end, there’s another quirky synth solo that just makes me smile every time.

Even if you’re hesitant to give it a listen, I highly recommend you do. Listening to music in other languages forces you to focus on the instrumentation—and that’s where the magic often is. Let me know what you think.