If The Shoes really really were a pair of shoes, they would, without question, be sparkling electric blue, and unashamedly chic. They would, obviously, be dancing shoes. Luckily for us, The Shoes are not a pair of shoes, but are in fact a pair of electroclash dance pioneer DJs, from, oh but of course, the mean streets of France.
Fresh from producing a few tracks for Shakira's last album (yes, really), The Shoes have rafted in a veritable smorgasbord of erstwhile popstar friends to help create their own masterpiece, 'Crack My Bones'. From Gonzales, to Esser, to the CocknBullKid, with each guest there's a new vibe, and the result is a schizophrenic, eclectic, joy to behold.
Album opener, 'Stay The Same', with Esser taking on vocal duties, sets the standard as a potential soundtrack to your weekend, awash with a sound akin to a hybrid of Hot Chip/Friendly Fires and topped with a healthy abundance of cowbell. Former single, People Movin', featuring Primary 1 (no, me neither), establishes itself with a nagging, LCD Soundsystem-esque keyboard riff, before evolving into a veritable earworm of a tune.
Apparently never ones to rest on their laurels, or indeed, stick to one genre, those crazy French kids proceed to channel the dual spirits of E.L.O. and the Go! Team on 'Time To Dance', before CockNBullKid does her thing all over 'Cliche¦ü', evoking a slightly less filthy Alison Goldfrapp. 'Bored', perhaps one of the more uncomfortable tracks on the album, is filled with dischords and electro beats that will surely be used as the backing music to a TV special about the saucer-eyed party monsters in Ibiza this summer (whilst shocked parents look on). Album closer 'Investigator', with it's chorus about 'cigarettes on the floor' suggesting that the smoking ban has yet to hit the Parisian nightclubs, puts the fondant crème in the French Fancies, complete with Phoenix flavoured icing on top.
And therein perhaps, lies the problem; Phoenix. Whilst The Shoes have provided us here with a strong body of work, the worry here is that 'Crack My Bones' will find itself being unfavourably compared to it's Gaelic predecessor, 'Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix'. Furthermore, with the later having been released almost two years ago, there's a danger that The Shoes will simply be ignored due to their apparent tardiness on the scene. Which would be a great shame, as in 'Crack My Bones', we have a real contender for “indie dance record of the moment”. Oui, oui, c'est formidable, bien sur.Rating: 8/10
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