THE REBELS OF TIJUANA – Asile 2018 (2LP/CD Le Pop Club)
The Rebels of Tijuana is a French quartet that started out in 2008 and the band members nowadays are: Alex (Guitar, Bass, Vocals), Seb (Keyboards, backing vocals), Romain (Drums, backing vocals) and Julien (Bass, backing vocals). They are the founding group of The Pop Club Records label, with many albums, singles, EPs, compilations, European tours a go go, big festivals (Paléo, Printemps de Bourges,…), along with opening acts for Jon Spencer, the Charlatans, or Sallie Ford to name but a few on the clock. The press release reads: “The Rebels of Tijuana will release on october the 5th a double album “Asile” recorded on analog tape at the Back To Mono Studio with Christian Hierro. Shifting into surreal French, the songs journey into past influences and current nuggets, embracing a poetic horizon endowed with psychedelic pleasures and cinematic pop. Gram Parsons, Nino Ferrer and other heroes from the seventies whirl in the ring of light”… The label states the band as ‘Ye Ye Garage” but I think that in “Asile” the band tries to reach new territories from the past, to experiment with melodies in order to present them here in a high cinematic way!
Side ‘A’ opens with “Lydie S.”, a sentimental song with melancholic vibes that acts like a ‘light’ version (somehow) of “Whiter Shade Of Pale”. “Erotique” is a French Pop-Neo-Psych tune but with a real groovy feeling. “Qu’On Aime Taire” is a 60s pop-sike influenced song, electrifying kind of balladesque with a laid-back cool relaxing melody. “Et Le Blizzard S’Estompe” is an easy-listening tune with a strong acid-jazzy feeling, a lovely horn sound (sax and clarinet if I’m not mistaken) and a touch of a ‘safe’ improvisation, it reminds me a lot of Serge Gainsbourg’s psychedelic days. Side ‘B’ opens with a rhythmic poppy tune called “Celui Qui Danse” while “Tous Ces Mots” is a ballad emerging a nostalgic sentimental feeling. In “Strange Effect” they use English language, another cool poppy tune with a psych-a-like guitar middle section. “Dans Les Vagues Sous Ma Peau” is British-Psych-Pop influenced, musically reminding “Sunny Afternoon”. The melancholic “Teddy S.” opens side ‘C’, the sax adds an erotic mood to the song. “Biche” acts like a one-minute extract from a long jam. This side closes with my personal favorite of the album, the glorious and beautifully performed “Ne T’En Vas Pas Maintenant”, a slow poppy ballad with an exceptional guitar outburst, a Doors-like organ passage, becoming really ‘psychedelique’ with an experimental approach, it kind of reminds me the 70’s version of Arthur’s “Signed DC”.. Side ‘D’ opens with the groovy, poppy, danceable and joyous “Massage”. “Quand J’Etais Chanteur” is a ballad indicating some cool pedal-steel guitar and the album closes with “Cavalcade”, its narrative style reminds once more Serge’s Psychedelic Days… In conclusion, “Asile” is an album with its own unique style, an album with a SOUL of his own, and many good songs with some really strong moments and it really acts like an “Asylum” for good music nowadays, because there are countless POP ‘garbage’ out there… (TimeLord Michalis)
RELEASE INFO:
Label: Le Pop Club
Format: LP, Double Vinyl Album, Limited Edition, 500 copies
Format: CD, Album, Limited Edition, Digisleeve 500 copies
Release Date: 05 October 2018
Tracklist
A1 | Lydie S. | 3:43 |
A2 | Erotique | 2:37 |
A3 | Qu’on aime taire | 3:53 |
A4 | Et le blizzard s’estompe | 7:59 |
B1 | Celui qui danse | 2:45 |
B2 | Tous ces mots | 3:33 |
B3 | Strange Effect | 5:13 |
B4 | Dans les vagues sous ma peau | 2:06 |
C1 | Teddy S. | 3:23 |
C2 | Biche | 1:15 |
C3 | Ne t’en vas pas maintenant | 8:16 |
D1 | Massage | 2:50 |
D2 | Quand j’étais chanteur | 6:46 |
D3 | Cavalcade | 2:19 |
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