The first album by Gilbert Artman's Lard Free is the band's most conventional record, with six relatively concise songs (more than would appear on the next two albums combined) dominated by Phillippe Bolliet's saxophone and Francois Mativet's Robert Fripp-like guitar work. The tracks, credited to the group as a whole, sound composed, not improvisational, with group interplay taking precedence over showboat soloing. There's an element of free jazz in the way Bolliet's sax regularly flies away from the melody and chord patterns established by Mativet and bassist/synthesizer player Herve Eyhani but, for the most part, this is a fairly restrained album even on the noisiest pieces. The best tracks, in fact, are the last two, "Livarot Respiration" and "Culturez-Vous Vous-Memes," a pair of placid explorations led by Artman's vibes and piano that close the sometimes chaotic album on a tranquil note. ~ Stewart Mason, All Music Guide
