The Frenchmen
The Frenchmen 7”
Shelflife
The Frenchmen are a band of jangle poppers made up of two lovely gentlemen and one lovely lady, and this is their debut. Their sound is reminiscent of early 1990s indie pop bands from the West Coast (e.g. Beat Happening and Girl Trouble). There are also hints of Cub and Shadowy Men From a Shadowy Planet.
It’s always a treat to find a band that has a knack for writing really catchy songs with minor chords and chord progressions. The wonderful “Hey Amelia” is just such a song, with a creeping yet longing bass line upon which the guitarists throw some really sparkly, overdriven guitars. The female singer’s voice is the perfect complement for this song, with her bored but still trying voice soaring high above the gorgeous melody. I really love this song and its childish chorus of “da, da, da” – it’s totally contagious and is one of the best single songs I’ve heard in this genre since Slant 6’s “What Kind of Monster Are You?”
People old enough to remember the slew of jangle pop bands from the early 1990s West Coast will appreciate this 7”. Those of you who don’t, give this disc a try – it’s really fun!
Shelflife Records: http://www.shelflife.com/
