Album Review: Loup Garoux - "Strangerlands"

 

Featuring the talents of Ed Harcourt and Cass Browne, Loup Garoux seem to have been establishing a bit of a reputation as an indie supergroup over the last couple of years and after hearing and reviewing some of their singles in the monthly Singles Bar column here at Nite Songs, I was looking to hearing their full debut album when it landed here.

The band that Loup Garoux actually remind me of a bit is Muse but thankfully it's a less proggy and histrionic version who've reined in some of their more ridiculous excesses to create something punchy and hard-hitting. The glacial piano on opener Gallon Distemper (which reminds me a bit of the Doctors of Madness' excellent Dark Times album from a couple of years back) and the dirty fuzzed-up bassline of former single I Know The Truth About You set the band's stall out well from the word go. Strange Angels and Seance even go into slightly gothy territory, sounding like a couple of lost cuts off the Mission's under-rated Blue album.

There's plenty to recommend Strangerlands for aside from these darker numbers though - Better Than Heaven is a woozy lilting ballad which sounds like Dog Man Star era Suede singing one of their big piano epics from 20,000 leagues under the sea but they quickly follow it with the scuzzed up Mary Chainisms of Painter of Trophies just to make sure you don't get too comfortable there. Elsewhere, the sinister Velvet & Gold goes into almost trip-hop territory and the soaring The Mourning's Not Enough could almost be Everything Must Go era Manics.

Fair play to Loup Garoux, Strangerlands is a supremely assured debut which sees them carving their own niche into the music scene and doing it in style. Mixing a bit of rock, a bit of goth and even a bit of post-punk in there, it's an intoxicating brew which is well worth a taste if you fancy a walk on the dark side of music.

Bandcamp Link

NITE SONGS RATING: 🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌑🌑 (8/10)

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