Review Summary: Synth-laden art-rock you will not regret picking up.
I’m sure most of you are thinking, “Who in the world are French Miami?” After hearing their unique brand of snyth-laden art-rock on the local college radio station, I set out answer to that question. I found all the answers I needed on the trio’s self titled debut.
The basic answer is that it’s difficult to pin one single sound on the band. Though an indie rock band at their core, their unconventional song structures and superb synthesizer work prevent them from being pigeon-holed as such; and they eschew the typical rock band line-up by completely removing the bass guitar. Roland Curtis and Jason Heiselmann juggle the guitar, synthesizers, and the baritone guitar while Chris Crawford thunders away on the drums. Thanks to the band’s clever arrangements and excellent musicianship, you’ll never even miss the bass.
If ever a guitarist’s playing could be described as “angular,” that guitarist is Roland Curtis. Whether it’s his punchy chords, his nonchalant single note choices, or his legato soaked lines, one thing shines through: Roland Curtis is hipper than you are, and a damn fine guitarist for it.
Crawford’s drumming brings the perfect amount of intensity to the album. He could write the book on what
not to play, but his drumming is always interesting. On both “Science Fiction” and “Mr. Moment,” Crawford takes a single-instrument intro and turns the rhythm on its head. Even when playing a straight beat, Crawford keeps the band on task and driving ahead.
Jason Heiselmann mostly holds down the low end of the band’s sound with his baritone guitar and clever synth tones. His vocals aren’t anything to write home about, but his delivery is sincere and fits the band perfectly.
The album opens with the hauntingly discordant howls of “Intro,” followed closely by the irresistible guitar intro of “God Damn Best.” By the time the snare drum hits, you’ll realize that you are a big fan of French Miami. Though occasionally sticking to conventional song structures (as in “S.F.O.” and “1991”), French Miami are at their best when flying by the seat of their pants. “Science Fiction” begins as an up-tempo, minor-key song that rides the emotional roller coaster before finally settling into a mournful reprise of the song’s introduction. Stand-out rockers “God Damn Best” and “Multi Caliber Rifles” both throw plenty of riffs and variations at the listener without losing their initial energy, while “All On Fire” proves that the band can write an adventurous, catchy song at a moderate pace. “Windwar,” the mid-point of the album, is a synth-based instrumental that I cannot speak of highly enough. It is the perfect display of French Miami’s appreciation of a melody, and a welcome moment of peace after the energetic first half of the album.
Having thoroughly praised this debut album, I must confess that it is not without its faults. “Mr. Moment” is a lackluster track. Though not a
bad track, the band do not develop their initial idea, but instead allow the song to fizzle out at only 1 minute and 36 seconds. The tongue-in-cheek “Lil’ Rabbits” is repetitive at best, and will undoubtedly grate on some listeners’ nerves. While the simplistic song structure of “S.F.O.” is carried by Curtis’ stellar guitar work and a hook that you will
not be able to get out of your head, “1991” lacks any such hook to support its basic structure. This leaves “1991” noticeably sub-par when compared with the rest of the album.
All that said, the good on this record far outweighs the bad. French Miami have given us a remarkable collection of songs on their debut, and have proven themselves to be a band to pay attention to going forward. You owe it to yourself to check them out.
