Take 2 French musicians, Marc Collin and Olivier Libaux.

Take some of their old ‘post-punk’ record collection – a mixture of punk, early goth and alternative pop.

Now strip these songs down to the bare bones and give them a 60s Brazilian bossa feel, with a big dose of French pop mixed in, giving vocal duties to eight predominantly French female singers.

Sounds awful doesn’t it? It’s actually really good.

It’s certainly a challenge using bossa (the ‘punk’ of the 60s jazz scene, claim the sleevenotes) to lighten up the gloom-laden post-punk period. But as the end result shows, there’s always a catchy pop tune lurking if you look hard enough.

The obvious pitfall is irony, and this is where the band got clever. They employed vocalists who had never heard the original versions, which avoids karaoke and cabaret and gives the singer free reign to do what they like with the tunes.

The only song that possibly falls into the irony trap is their take on Depeche Mode’s ‘Just Can’t Get Enough’. Or maybe I just hate Depeche Mode!

The album kicks off with ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’, effortlessly taken from late 70s Manchester gloom to early 60s Parisian café. ‘This is Not A Love Song’ has a similarly lazy summer vibe.

I’ve never heard the original version (by Tuxedomoon apparently) of ‘In A Manner Of Speaking’, but the version here is a superb jazz ‘slowie’, complete with fragile vocal and a pile of emotion.

I have heard ‘Guns Of Brixton’, but perhaps with not as much menace as vocalist Camille gives it! Talking of menace, it’s here by the bucketload in the re-interpretation of Killing Joke’s ‘Psyche’ – complete with horror movie organ and schizoid vocal! Great stuff.

Dancefloor jazz anyone? That’s what you get with the Dead Kennedy’s ‘Too Drunk To F**K’ (no really), thanks to a particularly nifty bassline and a bizarre lighthearted vocal.

Other tracks follow a more traditional jazz/pop route, to great effect you have to say – ‘Making Plans For Nigel’ benefits from a lack of post-punk nonsense, The Cure’s ‘A Forest’ has the gloom lifted from it, ‘I Melt With You’ jumps from rainy England to sunny Rio and John Peel’s favourite pop song – The Undertones’ ‘Teenage Kicks’ – has never sounded so poppy!

And the album ends with the most British of songs – The Specials’ ‘Friday Night Saturday Morning’, given a French pop twist and a more sombre take than even Terry Hall could manage. Though it does get a comedic twist with Daniela D’Amborosia’s attempt at the word ‘spew’! Do they not say that in France?

So overall, a really good album. Could have drifted to novelty, but thoughtfully put together to avoid the obvious ironic pitfalls.

Great late night listening and highly recommended. Oh, and the cover art is excellent too!

Reviewed by David Walker (review posted on 20th August 2004)

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