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The English Riviera
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The English Riviera
Current price: $26.99
Barnes and Noble
The English Riviera
Current price: $26.99
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Previously a nu-rave trio in the mould of
,
, the brainchild of
, have changed tack for their third studio album,
, following the departure of original member
three years earlier. Having permanently recruited the talents of bassist
and former
drummer
, the follow-up to 2008's
, abandons their indie-disco sensibilities in favor of a more laid-back but equally idiosyncratic, sun-kissed sound which positions them as avant-garde purveyors in the vein of
rather than debauched glowstick wavers. But while its opening number, a 37-second snatch of cowing seagulls and distant waves lapping against the shore, may evoke the glamorous beaches of California, its remaining self-produced ten tracks are very much a love letter to both Mount's hometown of Totnes in Devon, and a romantic fantasy of the title's seaside resort he used to drive around in, blasting
as a youth. While thankfully there aren't any attempts at European faux-reggae, there are nods to the rich and warm West Coast sounds of '70s
and
on the swaying, country-tinged
and the ominous, fretless, bass-led
But ultimately, as the title implies, the band's third album is unmistakably an English affair, and none more so than
which kicks off with a shuffling end-of-the-pier waltz rhythm and the kind of old-fashioned Wurlitzer last heard in wartime ballrooms, before ending in a cavalcade of stylophones, cymbals, and even kazoos that sounds like a particularly clumsy one-man-band falling down the stairs. It's utterly bonkers, but fits right in when placed among the likes of
which borrows the hook from
's
and fuses it with summery
harmonies and archaic video game style synths, the lolloping
-esque jazz-rock, and psychedelic guitar solos of
a gorgeous '60s-inspired slice of cooing lounge-funk featuring the deadpan vocals of
'
. The band occasionally revert back to their more familiar electronic roots, such as on the ambient,
-esque
and the woozy synth wizardry of closing number
but as sonically interesting as they are, they feel like slightly jarring interruptions to the album's underlying vaudeville nature. Relentless in its pursuit to soundtrack the uniqueness of the British summer,
is a challenging but ultimately rewarding effort which cements
's reputation as one of Britain's most intriguing pop mavericks. ~ Jon O'Brien