Happy shiny people!
So once again I have the task of reviewing a band that doesn't sing in English. This time it's the strange and gentle pop/rock of Malajube (pronounced Mal-A-Zoob, apparently). It's very light and airy. There is almost a happy-clappy sixties influence here that will make this album a hit around Europe.
First song, 'Jus De Canneberges' is more of a gliding intro of harmonies and strings, whilst 'Montreal -40 degrees C' is a happier indie number with added 'la-la's'. You only have to think of a band like Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, to understand just what I mean. It's a quilt that's been made from many pieces of musical material, all pulled together to create an upbeat multi-layered collection. 'Pate Filo' may sound a little bit like that small yoghurt that hardly fills up a small child, but is in a fact a song with a jaunty little melody, giving us a song that is a little bit of a cross between some indie band and Swedish poppers, The Cardigans.
'La Monogamie' is the best song on here, starting gently in an almost folky jig, it then builds up in to something that borders on pop/punk, before crashing in with some guitar led indie rock. It is worth mentioning that although there are a number of different styles here, they do all gel together in the same light and floaty way that the songs are executed. The start of 'Ton Plat Favori' has jaunty piano playing like it should be in a silent black and white comedy movie before the lyrics kick in sounding a little like White Stripes if Jack White got well and truly plastered before stepping into the studio. It's a silly little number that ends up being a bit of an anthem!
'La Russe' is a little bit out-there with its elctro-disco influence that sounds a little out of place and disjointed, whilst things punk up a bit in the heavier, riff laden, ' Fille A Plumes'. Later we have some strange falsetto background screaming in the slightly eerie and bizarre, 'Casse-Cou', and the simple drum and guitar rock of the slow clean number, 'Etienne d'aout'.
Malajube have here in their second album, 'Trompe-L'oeil' a whole host of ideas that spin around giving you songs as different as if you put your I-Pod on random shuffle. The exploration of, and consequently the experimentation of influences and ideas come together in a big mix of happiness; I wonder whether this could well be the soundtrack to a life of permanent hallucinogenic drugs.
These French speaking Canadian's are slowing making a name for themselves by winning 3 Juno's (Canada's answer to Brit Awards), and also playing a number of London dates. It's silly happy stuff, and sometimes I think that's just what we need! I can't say as I know a lot about what they are singing about, but for once, who cares!