Nouvelle Vague - Nouvelle Vague

MINE

Did you come back to see what I was talking about yesterday?  So, here we are with another album of covers - this time turning the originals into more French-chillout-ambient-lounge music.  What I instantly thought of as "music for cocktail parties", and which Amazon classifies as bossa nova/easy listening.  It makes me want to grab a martini and stand in a corner, slitting my eyes against cigarette smoke and feigning interest in this gorgeous-but-boring guy's conversation with my feet killing me in super-high heels... actually that doesn't sound very appealing, does it?

For me the outstanding hit of this album is their version of The Dead Kennedys' Too Drunk To Fuck.  It's a killer.  And I love how The Cure's A Forest sounds in bossa nova style.  But it's not something I'm enthused about.  Funny, we were just reflecting that the booze cabinet's getting kind of full - maybe we need to throw a cocktail party and use this as the soundtrack.  How about it, YourZ?

VERDICT: TURN IT DOWN

YOURZ

Yesterday, I panned Mike Flowers Pops for their godawful covers album but today, to use a music analogy, my tune has definitely changed.

Nouvelle Vague bring a Gauloise-hazed, staggeringly chilled vibe to their selection of 80s punk and new wave hits, some of which happen to be some of my all-time favourite songs.  Mine has mentioned both The Dead Kennedys and The Cure but failed to mention their absolutely stunning cover of The Clash's Guns Of Brixton or the suprisingly cool version of the Joy Divison classic, Love Will Tear Us Apart.  XTC's Making Plans For Nigel, P.I.L's This Is Not A Love Song and Friday Night, Saturday Morning, originally by The Specials, are also well served by this French duo.

I think the reason I enjoy this so much is because despite the chance of this album being completely fromage-y (it's not), there's an obvious reverence Nouvelle Vague have for their source material and the sense of musical respect they have for the bands who did these much-loved songs.

And Mine, yes, I think it is time we emptied the liquor cabinet, but I insist on two things: no Cha Cha music and as little cheesiness as possible.  Can you dig it, chicky-babe?

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

For more information: http://www.nouvellesvagues.com/

In our collection we also have Bande A Part

The Lightning Seeds - Sense

YOURZ

I have vague recollections of this band for some reason I can’t figure out. Listening to this album didn’t help. It kind of sounds like a Pet Shop Boys rip-off but I might be wrong. It certainly sounds like nothing I would pay money for even though I have brought some absolute crap in the past.

I’m hoping Mine thinks the same way.

VERDICT: THROW IT OUT

MINE

It's funny, but I haven't listened to this album all the way through for ages. And while the title track always makes me smile and sing along, by the time I got to A Cool Place I was thinking how this could be just another generic late 80's-early 90's British indie-pop band (think Prefab Sprout, XTC, Teenage Fanclub).

In fact the whole album's a bit same-y. Not to say that it's bad, but it made me realise why I've taken my favourite songs and put them on my iPod. Because I don't really need all of them. Mind you, although Blowing Bubbles isn't one of the songs I've iPodded, it'll always make me smile, because of its status as "The Michael Jackson song" in a previous relationship I had. (Get it? Oh boy, I've made some enemies there.)

I must admit I haven't bought any more of the band's work - although I've been tempted by Jollification and I'm very fond of their football song Three Lions.

Anyway, I've been wondering why I've hung on to this album for so long, and now I know. I've been waiting for the invention of the iPod! Objective achieved.

VERDICT: THROW IT OUT

For more information: http://www.thelightningseeds.com/