La Femme: Psycho Tropical Berlin

La Femme adopt a social approach to music-making: whoever's around at the time is free to join in. It's not surprising the French-by-way-of-LA group's sound is a melting pot of unexpected flavours, eras and genres, but unfortunately it's a case of too many cooks spoiling the broth. Influences such as The Velvet Underground, Kraftwerk and French pop from the 1960s are perceptible on songs such as the chic La Femme and the '80s Berlin disco of Sur la Planche, one of many tracks with sweet, France Gall-style vocals on top. Elsewhere, they dabble in Californian surf-pop and gothic, nightmarish effects with the same retro throb utilised by Stereolab. It's ambitious and likeably zany in places, but desperately in need of a producer who demands focus from his charges.
Download: Sur la Planche, Le Blues de Françoise