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REVIEW

Various Artists

Le Pop Volume 6

The last decade has seen the rise of French electronica and disco: one doesn’t have to try hard to conjure up their favorite dance groups or DJs like Daft Punk, Dimitri From Paris or Air. The French may have become synonymous with thumping beats but there’s a whole other French sound that has been equally fruitful, the chanson Française. This is not the French music your beatnik parents grew up with though. The sixth incarnation of the French compilation “Le Pop” shows just how far and wide the French song has come with sixteen tracks from across the French diaspora, from Paris to Louisiana. There’s an uptempo and feel good vibe to the selection, with but a couple songs showing a more melancholic side (Fredda’s ‘Fenêtre À Collioure’ is one). For the most part it’s a sweet, sassy and wild ride in an open convertible with the tunes blasting.

La Patère’s ‘Chocolove’ is a whimsical, jaunty pop tune with sweet female vocals and banjo. Olivier Goulet’s ‘Alors Il Y’a La Lune’ is a smokey and vocal-driven song with Mali-esque blues guitar. Caracol’s ‘L’amour Est Un Tricheur’ is a catchy reggae-blues track with chocolate-rich female vocals. Jérôme Minière’s ‘Avril’ is a sensuous male-female duo that reminds me of Thievery Corporation’s ‘Lebanese Blonde’. Féloche’s ‘La Vie Cajun’ is the most “urban” song here, a scratch-laden and swamp-infused track with a dash of masala. Emmanuelle Seigner’s ‘Dingue’ is one of the collections more infectious songs with upfront vocals and a memorable chorus.

If there’s one influence that permeates “Le Pop 6” it would be Manu Chao: you might not be able to pinpoint it but you can feel his influence. Of course there’s also a smattering of Serge Gainsbourg, Django Reinhardt et al. If you’ve been sucked into the vortex of French dance music and want a breath of fresh pop-vocal air, “Le Pop 6” is a welcome treat of French chanson. And don’t worry about the words, you’ll still find yourself humming these songs. –John C. Tripp

Tracklisting and videos at the break

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Being an accomplished guitarist, Nick Radford also cites players such as Grant Green, Kenny Burrell, Boogaloo Joe Jones and BB King as a constant source of inspiration. The album title, Colours reflects the wide range of moods and grooves found on the album which also features the instrumental and production skills of Lack Of Afro.

Freestyle Records springs into 2011 with the release of the debut album Colours by Frootful, guitarist Nick Radford’s new project. Frootful bridges the gap between past and present, acknowledging influences, while reflecting the creative process of looking back to move forward. Those classic influences include 60s soul-jazz, latin, ska and R&B. Being an accomplished guitarist, Nick also cites players such as Grant Green, Kenny Burrell, Boogaloo Joe Jones and BB King as a constant source of inspiration.

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The album title, Colours reflects the wide range of moods and grooves found on the album. Having played guitar in the Lack of Afro live band for several years, Nick began making some home recordings of his own material. The Colours recording project came about when Adam Gibbons (Lack of Afro himself) seemed suitably impressed by the demos and offered his services to helm the production.

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