Been slack...

‘Two Thousand’
French Kicks
(Startime International/Vagrant)
There has been quite some expectation from indie fans for this third album by five piece French Kicks. While it doesn’t entirely disappoint, it is somewhat of a contradiction. The songs are all equally pleasant and poppy, with cheerful melodies and rhythms, sweet harmonic vocals, and that lush layered guitar style typical to New York bands such as Sonic Youth or The Strokes. Despite this, however, there is very little about the album that stands out or sticks in my memory. The intriguing element to the album lies perhaps in its production, with a washed out distant sound that invokes a wistful sentiment that adds irony to the cheerful melodies. While ‘Two Thousand’ falls short of brilliance, it is nevertheless highly enjoyable, and shows some of the French Kicks’ future potential.

French Kicks' Official Site
French Kicks' myspace


‘Welcome To the People Tree’
Various
(People Tree)
Apparently, there’s a new British folk movement, as I’m told by this album’s liner notes. Now I’ve not heard much about this alleged movement, but the title and cover art all seem a bit suspiciously hippie to me. From the sounds of it, it’s like old folk music fused with some jazz. If that sounds like the kind of music you’ve just been waiting to hear, then quick! Go buy the album! But honestly, to me, it all sounds a bit boring and daggy. No offence. Okay admittedly, perhaps it just takes a little worldliness and open-mindedness to appreciate. The instrumentation and vocals aren’t altogether bad. It’s just in the matter of style in which it lacks any entertainment value whatsoever, except perhaps the cover of Portishead’s ‘Glory Box’, which sounds like a strange progressive rock version of the song. Even so, it’s not worth enduring the rest of the compilation for.