7 / 10
Mod haircuts? Check. Skinny and early twenties? Check. Impossibly cool and well cut black trousers ? Check. Been up for three nights running and looking a bit lonely and desperate but still extremely hip? Check. As you might have gathered French Kicks are from Doncaster. Sorry, only kidding. They?re from New York City.
Riding the crest of the Poptones release tsunami French Kicks are a little more exciting than the usual alterno rock product (Walkmen, Interpol) flooding out of the city post The Strokes. Featuring ex-members of the likes of Jonathan Fire*Eater and probably leaving the corpses of many other efforts behind them ?Young Lawyer? is a collision of disparate styles from the bands different members ( who frequently disappear in different directions) and the result is a happy accident. ?Living Room Is Empty? is a Rolling Stones meets Squeeze via DC hardcore jam while elsewhere ?The 88? finds delicious melody floating above thrashing and clashing guitars. ?Destro? is full of the excitement of going out and thinking your probably not going to get home again.
Despite it?s cheap thrills however you might be forgiven for wondering what the point of this record is. Simply, it?s honest rock ?n roll music and that should be good enough for anyone.
Neil Thomson
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