Our Lives Are Too Short

In a CD store (remember those?) this album would probably be found in the hip-hop section. But this French trio takes hip-hop as a departure point, or like a theme on which to create a kaleidoscopic array of variations. The result is an album that sounds simultaneously old-fashioned and brand-new — the swaying old-school beat of "Show Me" is upended somewhat by Beat Assailant's sophisticated flow and a lovely vocal hook; "Now That I'm Free" features a slightly eerie groove that is made even eerier by a sharp, dark cameo appearance by Wu-Tang Clan's RZA; the faux orchestral strings and bouncy groove of "Hold On" are followed immediately by the cool and Latin-tinged "Listen to the Drums", which also evokes (bizarrely) the early sound of the Real Tuesday Weld. When Beat Assailant starts rapping in French the effect is even better than when he does so in English, and when things get glitchy (on "Just a Lil' Lovin'") the effect is better still. Actually, some of the English lyrics make you wish that every track were in French (sample couplet: "Don't forget to hold on/Never give up; stay strong"), but overall this is a very, very impressive debut.