Piano Ombre
Domino/EMI
Francois Marry is a touring member of Camera Obscura, but had based himself in Bristol to forge his own musical voice as Francois & The Atlas Mountains. Somewhere between albums, Marry returned to his homeland in the South of France to write and record Piano Ombre.
As is typical for Francois & The Atlas Mountains there is a joining of many styles with African and French influences sharing space with the more Anglophile sounds that Marry picked up from his time in the UK. The songs are predominantly sung in French with a handful being given English titles and lyrics.
The music is lush and considered, offering tales of the struggles that Marry is said to have endured over the passing year. La Verite sounds like the band have stumbled into an organ store and tested out as many instruments as they can find, with a playful chorus that ignores the language barrier. Summer Of The Heart is another bright moment for a band that are better known for their lounge room smooth, than a tune that would be right at home in the hands of Yo La Tengo.
Frenchmen are notoriously gifted when presented with a road bike and Piano Ombre is further proof that regardless of their singing voice when they make tunes they are assured of loosening a few skirts.
CHRIS HAVERCROFT
