21 Nov 2014

E.P Review: French Boutik "Mieux Comme Ca"


Reviewed by Dedric Moore (Monta At Odds)

"Mieux Comme Ca" kicks off with a Krautrock groove with bouncing piano and organ that quickly gets accented by soaring female background vocals as the male lead delivers a straight-forward melody in French. Do I know what they are singing about? No. Does it matter? No. It’s catchy and infectious and shame on me for having poor French linguistics, right?

"End of the Line" is a mid-tempo indie-rock song that has hints of British Invasion but keeps its sonic qualities modern. Lots of strumming guitar and a great bass line on the breakdowns of the verses keep the song moving along gracefully. This leads to a very satisfying end to the song which rides the groove that keeps things simmering without wearing it out.

"La Vie En Couleurs" fits perfectly into my guilty pleasure of loving French Beat music. Hints of Stereolab are strongest here. But French Boutik skirt the synths and random chord pattern shifts that appear in a lot of Stereolab’s work. Guitars and vibes are front and center adding to the strong vocal melody that lends a lounge vibe to the mix.

"Tiptoes" is another French Beat groove that proves to be one of French Boutik’s strong points. The piano, organ and guitar lock into the groove with just enough groove to allow the bass and drums to swing heavily. "Tiptoes" builds nicely as the vocals climb above the mix and then ease back to let the horn stabs at the end finish off a great EP.

Pre-order here for a discounted price.

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