Miou Miou
Issue #35
La La Grande Finale (Minty Fresh)
By Marisa Iacobucci
Published: March 1st, 2008 | 12:31pm
Looking for fresh, new pop sounds? Czech band Miou Miou's first full-length album, La La Grande Finale, may be just the kind of delight your curious ears are after. Although this collection of sweet pop melodies is contemporary enough for our modern tastes, style-wise, the songs are very much rooted in the classic ’60s French pop songwriting traditions (hail to Brigitte Bardot and Serge Gainsbourg), giving the overall record a sense of timelessness. Fans of Stereolab and Stereo Total will particularly warm up to singer Karolina Dytrtova’s airy voice as she sings all of the playful songs in French with her endearing Czech accent.
Although Miou Miou have clearly demonstrated that they have a gentle approach when it comes to songwriting, little details in the arrangements and orchestration also show that Miou Miou are not afraid to search for new sounds. When they’re not turning up their guitars and producing pleasing beats with bass and drums, they’re using a wide range of instruments in their music, everything from analog synthesizers and oscillators as on “Le Petit Punk,” “Deja–Vu,” and “Summe Volume” to the vibraphone on “Dans Le Miroir De Tes Yeux” and “La Chambre Voisine.”
Don’t understand French? Who cares? You’ll have no problem getting into the moods of this album because the themes of love, hope, dreams, and desire are just as prominent in the music as they are in the lyrics. Just sit back, sip on a martini, and enjoy these 13 catchy tunes from one cool Eastern Bohemia band.
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