rinôçérôse

<> (V2)

By Salima Appiah-Kubi
Published: August 3rd, 2006 | 1:03pm

Think European rock is all falsetto lead vocals and ambient tone poems? Allow me to present rinôçérôse. Founded by Jean-Philippe Freu and Patrice “Patou” Carrié, the band is a pair of mild-mannered psychiatrists by day, but by night, they are rock stars with an affinity for ’80s guitar. Don’t let the access punctuation fool you — this French duo is well prepared to bring the rock. Along the way, their album, <> also brings the disco and the house... with the occasional falsetto lead vocal. (Though more in the line of Prince rather than Keane).

With the most determined eclecticism this side of Beck’s Midnight Vultures, the album is a musical rollercoaster both in style and quality. The album scorches through a rock opening, adds in some disco loops, and comes down just as quickly with dreamy instrumentals like the bossa nova tinged “Mes Vacances a Rio”. <> gets most of its high points from the energetic “Cubicle” (made famous by a recent iPod commercial). “My Demons” is the best display of the band’s unique style, sounding like a dance remix of Radiohead. On another album highlight, “Le Rock Summer”, chirpy disco melody in the style of fellow Frenchmen, the Good Life, is sandwiched between two walls of fuzzy guitar.

The clunkers are pretty noticeable too. Album opener “Bitch” seems to be trying to mine whatever shock value is left in the word as it is repeated a dozen or so times. The song leaves one longing for Meredith Brooks. The boring electro song, “Inacceptable,” so closely resembles the hold music for my mp3 player’s company I’m expecting a disembodied voice to tell me how valuable I am as a customer.

Even with its lowlights <> is a pretty darn cool experiment and worth a listen.