Crystal Anis

Second full-length release from this French male/female duo based in Perpignan (eastern Pyrennees), channelling 60s French fuzz pop through the Velvets and Stereolab and throwing in some discordant jangles from time to time. Both vocalists switch easily between English and French, and the songs are marked by fuzzy organs, an oddly clean guitar (or ukelele?) and classic pop percussion. Not nearly as raucous as the usual Hozac fare, but a great ride down the psych-pop slide ... the contemporary soundtrack for dreams of expat coffee houses and smoky bars.

[P.S. Marie and Lionel were previously in "Les Bellas," a quartet who were more garage-rock-60s than the Liminanas.]

FCC: None

1. med(-), low-key fuzz organ with plink-plunk guitar bits and female english vox
2. * dn(+), would fit well on Gainsbourg's "Melody Nelson," female french vox
3. med, fuzzy VU out-take with that plink-plunk back again
4. dn(+), soft VU-style
5. * dn(+), whispered female french vox and a great walking bass line that I know but can't place
6. med - deep into the solo Nikki Sudden / troubadour sound.
7. * dn, more Gainsbourg soundtrack-ish stuff, split M/F vox, cold(ish) end
8. med, minor-key burner with heavy echoed gtr, mostly instrumental
9. med(-), heavy percussion, building toward but never reaching a proper rave-up
10. * dn, female double-tracked vox singing over farfisa and fuzz guitar
11. dn+, instrumental version of 2010 dance-floor-filling single that replaces the female vox with piano, and then a farfisa organ jam, and then a Fisher-Price xylophone...