Faux Realism

AMG Review of Faux Realism

Peter J. D'Angelo
All Music Guide

These kids living in Brooklyn share an insanely devoted love for '60s French pop relics like Serge Gainsbourg and Jacques Brel, resulting in music that is accurately derivative albeit a bit too kitschy from time to time. If there's one thing going for them, however, it's a total mastery of the pop form. With male and female vocals and sweet harmonies, the confounding French lyrics don't seem to need a translator, just a groove. The septet is decidedly funky, and fuzzy keyboard lines mix with clean bouncy guitars for a product that's always spunky if a bit repetitive. In Les Sans Culottes' favor, it's arguable that most discerning listeners would have no trouble believing that this was created in another country almost 40 years ago. Other than a few edgier yelps and some high-tempo hipster punk changes, this group is true to its roots. All that remains to be asked is whether the bandmembers have any links to these roots or their faux French approach is just plain pretentious.