CO NTINEN TA LDRIFT Eddie Cooney explores some of the fine music being made outside the UK. Passport, please … nyone travelling through France last tendency to eccentricity but she adds deep Man and given creative freedom, they have In 2003 he was cast aside by Universal and summer cannot fail to have been vibrant colour to the music scene and is a produced a peach of an album and, ironically, looked all washed up only to form his own Atouched in some way by the music of precious French treasure. their most commercially viable product. The record label, tour extensively throughout Spain new darling of the French music industry, ZAZ opening ‘Alles Schreit’ begins with an ethereal and release his best album to date, the intimate (www.myspace.com/zazofficiel). The single WIR SIND HELDEN (www.wirsindhelden.com) vocal passage that is suddenly interrupted by and sparse classic Kamikazes Enamorados ᗂᗂᗂᗂᗂ . ‘Je Veux’ has been the ubiquitous hit of the release their fourth studio album Bring Mich Jesus And Mary Chain-like guitars and it is so His three albums since include a wonderful live summer and the debut eponymous album Nach Haus ᗂᗂᗂᗂᗂ (REKLAMATION RECORDS) obvious that everything has changed forever. set, Ajuste De Cuentas ᗂᗂᗂᗂᗂ and 2007’ s Avería ᗂᗂᗂᗂᗂ (PLAY ON/SONY) is a sensational and after a near three-year break since the Fotos have also written their best songs to Y Redención Nº 7 astonishingly poised release. The album mixes preceding Soundso ᗂᗂᗂᗂᗂ . The band reckons date, with the insanely catchy ‘Mauer’ and ᗂᗂᗂᗂ , which twin French the time has been spent in quality parenthood, the melodically similar but almost threatening topped Rolling traditions of going to gigs, learning new instruments and ‘Feuer’ having the potential to be massive hits. Stone ’s end of yea r manouche jazz generally cultivating anew their love of music. Much of the album is delivered in a cold, poll as Spain’s best and chanson with The resulting album, with its idiosyncratic mix dense wall of sound with gloomy synths , country album. enormous doses of quirky songs, melancholic themes and booming drums and heavy bass joining multi- For his latest of youthful beautiful if somewhat understated melodies, tracked guitars but the acoustic guitar ballad release Daiquiri exuberance and has been called a career suicide by some who ‘Ritt’ and the closing, tender ‘Wellen’ are Blues ᗂᗂᗂᗂᗂ , energy. Think can only be thought of as cloth-eared and examples of the wide-ranging variety on offer. González relocated to Nashville and recorded Django Reinhardt superficial in their assessments. I’ve always quite liked Fotos but this album is with American musicians and producer Brad playing guitar for Edith Piaf and you won’t be The album opens deceptively enough with something entirely different. It sees a blooming Jones. Curiously, the resulting album is not far from the sound of Zaz . The singer’s vocals the wonderfully uplifting, alternative pop of of previously unexpected potential. another country classic but a warm, self- have an intense impact on the listener like ‘Alles’, which It’s been five years since purveyors of assured, relaxing singer-songwriter album of those of Piaf but this is no copyist repetition of could have intelligent German pop, ERDMÖBEL quality. Moving to America does not appear what has gone before. The songs may have a appeared on (www.erdmoebel.de) released an album of to have influenced González’s muse traditional setting but this is a modern, vibrant either of the original material and I have missed them. in any specific way but has produced a strong album of its time. previous two Their last release, 2007’s No.1 Hits ᗂᗂᗂ was and consistently melodic album. As to be I’m sometimes suspicious of hype in the albums. What an album of covers and, while it was a fun expected Nashville’s musicians have added French music scene, especially when it is follows is a listen, it never reached the precious heights of some great guitar work but all of the songs attached to new artists who seemingly appear collection of songs previous classics such as 2005’s Für Die Nicht are bereft of obvious Nashville references and from nowhere. My suspicions led to me being played live in the Wissen Wie ᗂᗂᗂᗂᗂ and 2003’s Altes Gasthaus feature lovely, gentle brass and gorgeous string lazy in checking out Zaz but a little research studio mostly on acoustic instruments, featuring Love ᗂᗂᗂᗂᗂ . Latest release Krokus ᗂᗂᗂᗂᗂ (EDEL) arrangements. Daiquiri Blues is an exquisite, has revealed the opposite of an overnight sounds never before heard on Wir Sind Helden is a joyful return to the scene full of thought intimate late night/Sunday morning album. sensation. Zaz is the musical pseudonym for recordings courtesy of instruments such as provoking, poetic thirty-year-old Isabelle Geffroy who spent ten accordion, banjo, glockenspiel and Arabic lute. songs and My love of Slovakian band LONGITAL years paying her dues including gigging in The lyrical themes here are more intimate beautifully subtle (www.longital.com) has been well recorded Japan and Egypt, singing with a Basque and personal than the band’s previous work melodies. in Continental Drift. Daniel Salontay and Shina festival orchestra, solo tours of Russia singing with the meaning of life, love and home being The opening Lo are two equally talented musicians who Piaf and a stint in rap group, 4P. The latter examined from an individual perspective. At ‘77ste Liebe’ is an perfectly complement each other’s muse. New includes a hilarious song, ‘Rugby Amateur’, times the music has a wistful beauty as on the uplifting beauty album Teraz ᗂᗂᗂᗂᗂ (SLNKO RECORDS) is a strange forever to remain a skeleton in Zaz’s cupboard title track or the gorgeous ‘Die Ballade Von with an irresistible and beautiful thing. Strange in its originality and fast becoming a favourite on YouTube. Wolfgang Und Brigitte’. Beauty is no stranger melody like and beautiful in Such history is foundations for great music and to the music of Wir Sind Helden but here its Bacharach joined by a drunken Prefab Sprout. its profundity, this has led to an essential purchase for lovers of intensity is enhanced. New single for the festive season ‘Erster Erster’ is music like you European music. Do not, however, get the impression that is a similarly wonderful gem and the sound have never heard Zaz is not to be confused with ZAZIE everything is gentle and quiet. The breadth of of a jaded heart suddenly bursting with hope before: sounds (www.zazieonline.artistes.universalmusic.fr) variety on offer is admirable and ranges from and anticipation for a new year. Erdmöbel and melodies whose seventh studio album Za7ie ᗂᗂᗂᗂ the gentle reggae of ‘Dramatiker’ to the full-on have always offered a bittersweet edge and from out of the air (MERCURY) is an absolutely bonkers collection alternative rock of ‘Im Auge Des Sturms’. The ‘Fremdes’ is an uncompromising, surprisingly like gifts from the of seven mini-albums, each of seven tracks. entire album is available to listen to on the angry comment on modern Cologne, my gods; rhythms from the depths of a soul like Successive discs are named after days of the band’s MySpace page (www.myspace.com/ favourite German city, set to an aggressive the varying heartbeats of lovers; lyrics of honest, week and subtitled indicating a distinctive wirsindhelden) so go there and decide for reggae/ska arrangement. naive expression like the truth means everything. theme. Adult yourself whether this album is the sound of a Listening to Erdmöbel has always involved Longital have made an album that is the music, music for ‘career suicide’ or a band at the height of its catharsis for me. They are equally capable of sound of true creative freedom. They have children, serious creativity. I know what I think! lifting my heart or of bringing a tear to my eye found the point where the spirit of childhood music, music for Another German band doing the unexpected and have long been a personal favourite of invention is compromised by and lost to adult a party, music to is FOTOS (www.fotosmusik.de) who with their mine. I actually don’t trust anyone who says consideration. Teraz looks nowhere for chill-out to are all third album Porzellan ᗂᗂᗂᗂ (INITIATIVE MUSIK/ they don’t like Erdmöbel. Only a heart of stone inspiration other than inwardly to the very present. A lavish SNOWHITE) have transformed themselves would attempt to resist such precious creativity. moment of creation, and then it tries to maintain house-shaped from a decent, if average, alternative rock/pop that precious moment for as long as possible. boxed set of all band into one to be reckoned with. In recent Madrid’s QUIQUE GONZÁLEZ This is the music of life with the hot red blood the albums is available for a probable bargain interviews Fotos have bemoaned the way their (www.quiquegonzalez.com) is the writer of one of passion for living pumping through its heart. of forty Euros but there is also a single-disc previous label, EMI, marketed them as a kind of my all-time favourite songs. ‘Aunque Tú No I’ve listened to Teraz over and over again but version featuring highlights. of alternative Lo Sepas’ was most famously recorded by the I recognise not a single note or idea I have Life being short, I plumped for a special rock Monkees, late great Enrique Urquijo Y Los Problemas on heard before. This music is not of the past and edition of the highlights disc, which came giving them an the 1998 album Desde Que No Nos Vemos ᗂᗂᗂᗂᗂ neither is it of the future.