Tomorrow is going to be a special release Friday, because Pam Risourié are putting out their eagerly awaited second album, "I'll Never Be Human". So if you already took the Paris project to your heart with their debut "days of distortion", you're in for a treat.

Back in 2024, I already wrote that Pam Risourié don't chase any hype but have created something completely their own (/2024/04/pam-risourie-days-of-distortion). With "I'll Never Be Human", the band have pulled it off again. Where "days of distortion" felt open and playful, this record shifts up another gear.

Between shoegaze, post-rock and slowcore

Pam Risourié – "I'll Never Be Human"

Once again, Pam Risourié have drawn an introspective arc between shoegaze, post-rock and slowcore. What makes this band so special is precisely that they don't commit to any one genre. While you can still make out traces of Sonic Youth, Slowdive and My Bloody Valentine on the debut, Pam's personal signature comes through far more clearly and sharply on "I'll Never Be Human". And I'm here for it! The band becomes more unmistakable with every song, which makes their own description of the album as their "definitive signature" absolutely spot on. When you put on the record for the first time, you'll know why. It makes you feel like floating. The sound is dense, and the melodies feel like they're made from emotions. It is the perfect trip into a new musical world.

Peter Deimel recorded the record together with Pam Risourié at his Black Box Studios. The band mixed and produced it with Astrel_k of Ulrika Spacek. That attention to detail suits Pam beautifully, because "I'll Never Be Human" sounds wonderfully human, finely wrought and warm-hearted.

Saying Goodbye to Spotify

Pam Risourié

To mark the album's release, Pam Risourié took a special step and removed their entire catalogue from Spotify overnight. In doing so, they joined the ever-louder movement of independent artists who have already parted ways with the streaming service this year. The reasons are varied, and some of them reach well beyond the platform itself. Spotify hasn't exactly covered itself in glory of late, with the company's leadership pouring hundreds of millions into military AI. On top of that come the shockingly small payouts to the very people who make their music available on Spotify. AI-generated filler is also pushing real, handmade music further and further out of view ¹.

Against that backdrop, the album title might read defiant at first glance. But as you listen, it quickly becomes clear that calling it "I'll Never Be Human" comes from a conviction to face that opponent head-on, as activists. To defeat it with creativity. A lovely thought, isn't it? What I like just as much is that Pam's stance naturally gets around among the fans, too. Other bands benefit from their activism as well, as more people listen to music on Bandcamp and buy their records on vinyl.

Free to change your mind

The individual tracks invite you to rethink your own choices, too. "Who am they, who are I", for instance, reminds us that identity isn't something set in stone but open and fluid, always able to evolve. Human and free to change your mind whenever you feel like it. Pam Risourié gently urge their listeners to step out of their boxes and meet the coldness and distance out there with individuality. Which makes "I'll Never Be Human" one thing above all: a call for more humanity.

Listen to "Moth" and "You Are the Sound" now!

The full album will be landing tomorrow, but you can already hear the two advance singles, "Moth" and "You Are the Sound". I've linked them below for you. They're a taste of forty enchanting minutes of Pam Risourié.

"I'll Never Be Human" is out on Stellar Frequencies (FR) and Shoredive Records (UK), with Atypeek Music handling distribution. The band are celebrating the release with a show at Le Chinois in Montreuil, just outside Paris, alongside crushingswans and Yumi Jun.

"I'll Never Be Human" tracklist

Pam Risourié – "I'll Never Be Human"