L.O. Crocodile
L.O. Crocodile are a five piece rock-band from Nantes who appeared on my radar thanks to the availability this side of The Pond of their eponymous debut EP.
Comprising Valentine sur voix, Will on keyboards, Yannis and Lolo on guitar and bass respectively, and with Ludo on drums, the band who formed back in 2013, have been growing a burgeoning reputation in the west of France (finishing 3rd in last year's électric cité - Le tremplin des musiques Amplifiées in Le Mans). Citing influences as diverse as the Black Keys, Django Django, White Stripes, Metronomy, Franz Ferdinand, Television, Arcade Fire, LCD Soundsystem and The Strokes' Julian Casablancas, alongside French acts such as Skip the Use, The Dø and Lilly Wood and the Prick, their sound is - as befits one that is influenced by such a broad church - an 'explosive' cocktail of electro-rock that is fortified by vintage synth riffs...
Now I've always loved songs that lull you into a false sense of security (if not familiarity) and "Faster", the EP's opening number does just that. From tuneful whistling and the gentle strumming of an un-plugged electric guitar, a cacophony of vocals, steel guitar and analogue synths seemingly erupt from nowhere. There's a definite nod to (Amphetamine-fuelled) Country - even the synths imitate fiddles a times - but the overwhelming impression is that of a solid pop-rock melody - not to mention Valentine's incredibly endearing vocals - which fairly rattle along, all infused with bright, percolating synths.
"Barking dogs" offers a complete change of tack. Indeed, if L.O. Crocodiles had originated from the other side of La Manche I'd argue that the song has its roots in Pub-Rock RnB. Again bright / bubbly keys permeate throughout - the band's bio wasn't joking about the synths - there's a metronomic, toe-tapping quality to the song's rhythm, quirky lyrics (or 'squeaky' English according to the aforementioned bio) and enough "hey, hey's" and "whoa, whoa's" to focus the attention.
Similar to PAAR the band aren't afraid to explore and mix different genres. "Susan" opens to pulsating synths and beats, shoegazy guitars weave in and out. There's a bit of a moody dark-wave / pop scene developing here, which is confirmed by the haunting, repetitive chorus that drills into the skull "...Way out... I don't know where I am, Way out... I don't know who I am..." "Susan" is by far the most ambitious track on the EP as well as its standout track.
And if "Faster" and "Barking dogs" dabbled with the injection of synths to counteract and soften the pronounced guitar and percussion associated with those tracks' rockier sound, "Crystal heart" again by contrast has a more defined electro-pop influence that here takes elements of dream-pop and infuses with late-eighties / early-nineties Euro-pop. This time it's guitar and drums that fill and colour the gaps.
Comprising Valentine sur voix, Will on keyboards, Yannis and Lolo on guitar and bass respectively, and with Ludo on drums, the band who formed back in 2013, have been growing a burgeoning reputation in the west of France (finishing 3rd in last year's électric cité - Le tremplin des musiques Amplifiées in Le Mans). Citing influences as diverse as the Black Keys, Django Django, White Stripes, Metronomy, Franz Ferdinand, Television, Arcade Fire, LCD Soundsystem and The Strokes' Julian Casablancas, alongside French acts such as Skip the Use, The Dø and Lilly Wood and the Prick, their sound is - as befits one that is influenced by such a broad church - an 'explosive' cocktail of electro-rock that is fortified by vintage synth riffs...
Now I've always loved songs that lull you into a false sense of security (if not familiarity) and "Faster", the EP's opening number does just that. From tuneful whistling and the gentle strumming of an un-plugged electric guitar, a cacophony of vocals, steel guitar and analogue synths seemingly erupt from nowhere. There's a definite nod to (Amphetamine-fuelled) Country - even the synths imitate fiddles a times - but the overwhelming impression is that of a solid pop-rock melody - not to mention Valentine's incredibly endearing vocals - which fairly rattle along, all infused with bright, percolating synths.
"Barking dogs" offers a complete change of tack. Indeed, if L.O. Crocodiles had originated from the other side of La Manche I'd argue that the song has its roots in Pub-Rock RnB. Again bright / bubbly keys permeate throughout - the band's bio wasn't joking about the synths - there's a metronomic, toe-tapping quality to the song's rhythm, quirky lyrics (or 'squeaky' English according to the aforementioned bio) and enough "hey, hey's" and "whoa, whoa's" to focus the attention.
Similar to PAAR the band aren't afraid to explore and mix different genres. "Susan" opens to pulsating synths and beats, shoegazy guitars weave in and out. There's a bit of a moody dark-wave / pop scene developing here, which is confirmed by the haunting, repetitive chorus that drills into the skull "...Way out... I don't know where I am, Way out... I don't know who I am..." "Susan" is by far the most ambitious track on the EP as well as its standout track.
And if "Faster" and "Barking dogs" dabbled with the injection of synths to counteract and soften the pronounced guitar and percussion associated with those tracks' rockier sound, "Crystal heart" again by contrast has a more defined electro-pop influence that here takes elements of dream-pop and infuses with late-eighties / early-nineties Euro-pop. This time it's guitar and drums that fill and colour the gaps.
The EP closes with "Down in the dumps" and a song that veers back towards a more rock-infused vein although once again the band copiously sprinkles bubbly synths and electro-effects to create a hybrid rock / electro-pop sound that the band have obviously honed.
From this transatlantic perspective the EP's electro and synth-pop songs are the pair that standout, but ultimately the collection here are packed full of dynamic tunes and which demonstrates enough variety to suggest that the band have a bright future ahead of them.
L.O. Crocodile (Website)
"L.O. Crocodile" (Bandcamp), (iTunes)
From this transatlantic perspective the EP's electro and synth-pop songs are the pair that standout, but ultimately the collection here are packed full of dynamic tunes and which demonstrates enough variety to suggest that the band have a bright future ahead of them.
L.O. Crocodile (Website)
"L.O. Crocodile" (Bandcamp), (iTunes)
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