LAISSE ÇA ÊTRE

1. "Tour du monde" (4:04) Man! I keep looking for Dave Newhouse's name in the credits for this one! It sounds so much like his MANNA/MIRAGE efforts of the past ten years! Canterbury in the direction Matching Mole took it--only with the buzz-saw organ still tagging along. (8.5/10)

2. "Virage sud (4:01) the first of the STEREOLAB-sounding songs, it's a bit simplistic and straightforward--especially as it has no vocals--though the shift in the final third is delightful. (8.75/10)

3. "Tintin on est bien mon Loulou" (6:00) dirty jazz somewhere between Humble Grumble, Homunculus Res, Panzerpappa, Camamebert, and Stereolab. I like it! (8.75/10)

4. "Si loin, si proche" (8:18) Though introduced to this song via the band's delightful video in the château du Mauvaisin, I love the playful, STEREOLAB-like joy and lightness in this version--as well as the mood and melodies as a whole. Great song! (20/20)

5. "C'est pas tout mais" (5:37) Jazzy pop music to which the male singer/vocalist plays off of with delightful playfulness the tempo and mood shift at 2:30 is beautiful, wonderful, gorgeous! (9/10)

6. "L'ire est au rendez-vous" (5:39) a bit of the Gypsy sound in this one--especially in the guitars. Nice harmonies used throughout in both vocal and instrumental arrangements. I like the instrumental passages best--and the final 90 seconds. (8.5/10)

7. "Charme d'Orient" (5:28) opens up with a kind of old film noir, B-grade tongue-in-cheek spy movie feel--like something that should be behind a Lupin scene--or a Jim Jarmusch or Woody Allen comedy. Just a little too slow and monotonous for me. (8.25/10)

8. "Les yeux fermés" (6:36) industrial samples in avant garde pop jazz?! Works for me! After a protracted 90 second intro, the music shifts, revealing another soundtrack-like piece of music. This one could come from a Pink Panther film. At 3:18 a choral vocal theme is added, moving to background as male singer takes the lead. Still, this could easily be in a French film soundtrack--it has all the perfect intonations of irreverence and cool. The final 90 seconds again take on a more Stereolab-like sound and feel. (8.5/10)

Total Time 45:43

A fun album that I love in the same way I love the Homunculus Res releases: there's a joyful humor and simplicity to these rather complex composition

B+/4.5 stars; an excellent addition to any prog lover's music collections---especially if you like the quirky avant explorations of the French youth.

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