Singtank - In Wonder Album Review

Following on from their 'The Party' EP Parisian siblings Josephine and Alexandre de La Baume release their debut album, produced by Massive Attack and Bjork cohort Nellee Hooper. The coming months will see them perform on both sides of The Channel, including an appearance at Brighton's The Great Escape festival.

If you open a record with a track called 'The Party' it needs to have energy and enthusiasm - both of which are in abundance here. As if the offspring of Franz Ferdinand and Scissor Sisters, there's plenty of fun, which makes the subdued piano tones of 'Blue' a surprise successor, but showcases de La Baume's angelic female vocals. Similar to The Ting Tings in terms of bringing influences to a pop core, this duo have results that are inconsistent like the 'That's Not My Name' act. 'Superstar' is undeniably catchy and 'I Don't Wanna Die' has the sweetest of melodies, but others like 'Nuit Nuit' and 'Never Love Again' are frustratingly bereft of inspiration and can be labelled under 'filler'. They do finish on a high note however, with 'Sirens' building from an acoustic folk piece to an absorbing crescendo, before settling down again. It leaves 'In Wonder' with admirable bookends, but rather mixed content in-between.

Alex Lai