So, what makes a band interesting these day? Is it their indie credentials? Possibly not. Is it their innate understanding of the cultural implications of music in the modern age? Certainly not. Is it all, as in the good old days, all in the style? Of course, it is and German indie band Un Âne Gonflable have liberally rubbed themselves in all the best upmarket stylistic influences before they unleashed their self-titled album on an unsuspecting world.
Anyway, I accused Un Âne Gonflable of being interesting so I suppose I had better scrape up some proof. Well, unlike so many indie bands, Un Âne Gonflable can roll with the weather thus making their album one for all seasons with the mood easily accommodating both sunshine and rain. Add in some sardonically delivered songs in both French and English and you have the kind of album that also has pronounced appeal to the cognoscenti yet there is more here with these songs framing themselves in a kind of cultural cabaret that transcends the boundaries of indie band aspiration. “Stupid Kids”, for example, cries out for inclusion in the soundtrack to a Gus van Sant film while “Langeurs Du Dimanche” is so full of Gallic attitude that it could be imported back into France without attracting customs duties.
I was trying to think if there was something that I did not actually like about this album but could not actually think of anything. That what makes “Un Âne Gonflable” an interesting, and stylish, proposition.