Cocosuma: Nick Drake meets 'Swan Lake'
Feb
15
Written by:
Friday, February 15, 2008
On their first two albums, Parisian trio Cocosuma (not to be confused with Canadian duo CocoRosie) were plugging away at the loungecore end of the electro-pop spectrum. They achieved minor success in France, got on a few soundtracks and compilations (the way most loungecore electro acts do) and could be overheard in hip cafés (likewise). So far, so-so.
However, the departure of singer Kacey seems to have shocked the remaining pair, Chab and Michel (who spells his name Michelle! What a gas character, etc!), into changing their style. And the change has done them a power of good.
In comes an English singer, Amanda, et voilà! The new and improved Cocosuma (right) now make sunny pop anglaise à la Peter Bjorn and John, latter-day Belle and Sebastian and 'Revolver'-era Beatles. We also reckon they like Brian Wilson, perhaps own the first Badly Drawn Boy album - and definitely some Nick Drake, what with the wistful acoustic sound of many of their new tracks. And the fair Amanda and her gentle voice might remind Irish music fans of Carol Keogh from The Plague Monkeys, Automata and The Tycho Brahe.
The band themselves say they're somewhere between Joy Division and Take That, but that might just be more of Michel/Michelle's gasness. You never know with that fella!
The new line-up's first long-player, 'We'll Drive Home Backwards', also continues the current fashion for intriguing album titles by English-language French acts (the reigning champs are French Letter favourites Cocoon and their 'My Friends All Died In A Plane Crash').
It's a fine album of breezy indie-folk-pop tunes, some of which you can hear on Cocosuma's MySpace page. And for your tired eyes, here's the soothing video for 'Cinders'. No doubt our readers will instantly recognise that it features Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn performing an extract from 'Swan Lake'. Following on from our jazz and folk-trad mini-sites, let this be the first part of the new CLUAS Ballet Section: