Customer Reviews

Two Thousand

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

it's a wonderful dream soundtrack with the ocean and intrigue and scary clowns and michael jackson and exotic lovers. yes - lots of exotic lovers. with shiny guitars. and very white teeth.
the french kicks' best yet, indeed.

I never write reviews for anything, but I think this one deserves it. I am a fan of every French Kicks cd, but I honestly think this one is quite possibly their best effort yet. Each track is so original, and they have only gotten better since their last cd. I don't think there are any songs that should be skipped; this is really a great cd - if you like their other albums buy this for sure!

That's what French Kicks have been for me in 2006: a great discovery, and an act that I am surprised about in terms of how little known they are yet (if you are not sure of that, consider the fact that -as of this writing- there were only two other reviews about this album that came out several months ago).

When I first heard them, Canadians The Arcade Fire came to mind immediately. They have a similar sound, indeed. But it doesn't stop there. Some of those who approach French Kicks also find them to sound like early U2 (specially their guitar sound). What I like most about them is that they don't stick to conventions and they set out to explore their own sound, which sets them apart in today's world of music "sound-alikes".

There's not a single song in "Two Thousand" that is better than the others, but if I were to pick one that I love (one that represents their sound well), it would be "England Just Will Not Let You Recover".

As far as the music goes it's okay. I'm sad to say that I was more intrigued with them before I ordered the CD. I simply fell out of love with them.

BUT as far as the quality and the shipping goes- the CD came in good condition and with fast speed.

A gorgeous album but not a far-reaching or dazzling one. Paradoxical? Not for the French Kicks. I have consistently enjoyed their albums since "One Time Bells" but I always end up skipping some tracks and endlessly repeating others. This one is no different; songs like "So Far We Are", "Knee High" and "Basement DC" overwhelm with their lovely blend of chiming guitars, impeccable rhythm and Nick Stumpf's passionate croon soaring alongside the instruments. But some of the songs, come off as uninflated compared to others and furthermore, stylistically speaking there's nothing here that the Kicks haven't done before. The whole album suffers from a similar lack of ambition. I get the sense that the French Kicks -could- make an album that would catapult them out of the "New York indie rock" niche but they're holding off, holding back, for now. This is a fantastic album for someone who lives the French Kicks as much as I do but sadly it shows them stuck in a holding pattern, though I have higher hopes for their next effort.