Something new, for a change
Some bands you can put into a box and pretty much close the lid. Their take of whatever genre they have decided to play is so mundane and predictable that it holds your interest as long as a paper cup hold boiling water. Or it can simply be the type of music that is the problem. You hold your head and you think, there must be more than this! You hope high hopes of someone, somewhere thinking outside of the box and releasing something that is both different and well realised. For this reason alone we should be thankful for The Marseille Figs, because their debut, "The Dirty Cannon" pretty much answers that prayer.
"The Dirty Cannon" is not going to appeal to everyone. For fans of hard edged rock or too-cool-for-school indie then this is not really going to interest. Likewise, teenagers following their friends into the nether regions of emo schlock-rock are not going to find much to savor here. But that's almost what makes the album such a treat, because its not designed for those people. "The Dirty Cannon" does not follow trends, fashions or sensibilities of the mainstream. It simply takes the elements from what each of the three members' own tastes and abilities are and mix them together in a mixing pot of European retro-pop, deep south country and even some of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds miserablism.
Which is odd because the album itself is remarkably upbeat. It would take a very cynical ear to not allow a smile to creep in when hearing "Honey How Do You Like Your Eggs", a chuckle with "Caesar's Revenge" and a laugh with "Boxcar Charlie". Elsewhere, the listener can find the thoughtful "Good Year" and "Where The Night Begins". It's a contrast for sure, and one that puts the listener in mind of what a zany, offbeat group can actually achieve when they are given free reign.
"The Dirty Cannon" is most probably destined to be huge, mainly because they are surely going to be picked up by a mobile phone or car company for use in their overplayed adverts. After time we may forget that this is in fact a great band with a quality album, but as for now its here and it deserves to be heard by as many people as possible. It's very hard to be critical of an album with this innovation and originality, so suffice to say that it comes with a strong recommendation for music lovers anywhere.