It's deconstructionist rock. And it didn't used to be. French Kicks spent the better part of their early career chasing that garage rock aesthetic that seemed to work so well for everyone else. Ironically, it seems to have worked out better for them that they never really caught on in the mainstream. Their latest album entitled Swimming is their most ponderous, beautiful, and subtle yet. Rock without the pangs of pretension, Swimming is one of the most easily enveloping albums of the year. It breaks down a rock and roll sound to its most vulnerable and never shys away from exposing its underbelly. Both bouncy and jubilant; both biting and bitter; both simple and complex. Swimming, with its jangly guitars, pointed rhythmic trappings, and surprisingly precise percussion (running the gamut from tribal stomps, to calypso and then some) is one of the most aurally pleasing rock albums to be released this year. From its slight album art, to Nick Stumpf's barely-there posturing; The French Kicks have produced an album that is inclusive, inviting, and the most fluid of their career.
*You can listen to the entire album through the imeem attatchment on the band's Myspace page:
French Kicks Myspace
No comments:
Post a Comment