There
was a time when French bands were
the height of cool. When the likes
of Daft Punk and Air were flying
the Tricolore for their homeland,
we couldn’t get enough of the
muzik de jour from our friends on
the other side of the Channel.
Had
John John released their gentle
and genuine collection of songs
at the height of the French frenzy,
there is no doubt they would have
been greeted rapturously. It’s
little surprise though, that this
innovative and industry-shunning
duo are singing from their own song-sheet
and refuse to be sucked into the
folly of music-business fashion.
John
John are Anthony Worn and Benoit
Viellefon. The music is a delicate,
acoustic melt of Crowded House &
Beatles influences, woven with the
heady, summer scent of Paris in
the spring. It’s hard to believe
that only half of John John is actually
from France. Worn’s seductive
accent sounds far removed from its
Newcastle origins. It is refreshing
and entirely compatible with the
style of the album. The vocals are
often romantic, with a modern edge
and poetic overtone. Its grass roots
pop; a classic and organic sound
which makes a welcome change from
the overproduced prog-rock and infant-indie
we’re used to being force fed
by the radio.
Crisp
bass lines, twangy guitars, vocals
more velvety than Kleenex Double
– there’s something just
so cool about this French-Anglo
mix. ‘Memories’ has pure
riverside café ambience.
‘Summer Spell’, with it’s
‘California Dreamin’’
sentiment, is laced with the airy
sound of summer. There’s even
a subtle nod to reggae beats in
the form of ‘Turner Prize’
(which is indeed a comment on art).
The
album as a whole is a pleasurable
listen which cries out to be accompanied
by a creamy glass of Chardonnay
– but although it would be
well-digested over your next dinner
party, don’t expect an album
laden with Camembert. John John
somehow manages to tickle the discerning
ear with an easy sophistication
similar to Santana’s ‘Smooth’
(admit it, we all love that track).
John John have been building a sizable
band of followers,
thanks to various live gigs in London.
The band finance and produce their
own material without any record
label support. They scoff at the
‘cartoon’ pop currently
assassinating the chart and pledge
to remain as independent as they
can despite any success that lands
at their feet.
They
also design their own artwork and
run a multi-media company which
is best experienced via their web
site. Their entrepreneurial, ethical
and independent endeavours have
to be applauded – you certainly
won’t see them on Fame Academy.
It’s
been a while since such an honest
and natural sounding record landed
on my desk – and it makes for
a gorgeous listen. If you’re
looking for an uplifting and shrewdly
cool soundtrack to the spring, I’d
recommend this album. As long as
you like ‘real’ tunes
and Neil Finn-esque song-writing
you can’t go wrong with John
John. If you don’t want to
take my word for it, check out the
(very clever) web site and sample
a soupcon of John John for yourself.
