Album Review: Trial Of The Century by French Kicks

Just as One Time Bells distanced the French Kicks from their messy garagey/post-punky beginnings, The Trial of the Century finds them moving even farther away from loud drums and guitars. Instead, they deliver a prettier, more restrained sound that suggests a fusion of New Order's crooning vocals and the Cars' restless rhythms -- they started out being influenced by one aspect of '80s music and now take inspiration from a different side of that decade's sound. Indeed, the skipping rhythm and twinkling guitars and keyboards on "Oh Fine" would do Tears for Fears proud, and "Following Waves" sounds a little like the synthier side of Talking Heads crossed with the Kicks' own previous highlight, "Close to Modern.

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