Anglo-French Harmony
A heady fusion of Anglo-French talent, Mono Taxi have got airplay from Steve Lamacq and Claire Sturgess, featured on 2004's V2 compilation 'Le Nouveau Rock 'n' Roll' and now release 'Kind Of Better/Hardy Smile', a AA side to the populace.
Pitched somewhere between Zoot Woman and Sonic Youth, this promo CD is crammed with glorious synths, punky guitars and infectious beats. Sounds par for the course in these hedonistically post-modernist times I know, but give it a chance will ya?
'Kind Of Better' is eerily similar in sonic tone to the aforementioned Zoot Woman though retains an earthy naturalness through the employment of more traditional instrumentation and a less polished production. The seductive harmonised vocals are also wonderfully performed by Ellice Williams and Antoine Collin and soften the crisp sound perfectly. At barely three minutes long, it's a great pop tune and unbelievably catchy to boot.
"Kenickie given a damn good wash-and-brush-up" was the first thought that crossed my mind on hearing 'Hardy Smile'. Another bouncy and accessible track (and also sounding a little like The Violent Femmes), you can't fail to love it and the chorus is gloriously nonchalant "Hardy smile/you're gonna break that face of mine".
'Here Right Now', a bonus demo track reminds you of how good The Cardigans used to be...before they got rubbish and the more basic production enriches the song with a somewhat rockier/edgier approachability. The second bonus track, a live recording of 'Must Be The Weather' feels more contemplative in its execution and those Williams/Collin harmonies remain as sweet as ever.
It's an assured debut single/promo/whatever and while Mono Taxi might not break into the Top Five anytime soon, they're sure to remain a beloved underground secret and live draw. Seek them out...