Spiky, reverb-heavy indie pop with an easygoing flair isn't a new thing in music, but sometimes context is everything -- and amid all the neo-
Springsteen epics and theatrical presentations that still seem to define what indie rock is in 2010, hearing
Eux Autres kick off their fourth album with the cheerily atmospheric "Jamais" almost feels like a fresh breeze. That said,
Broken Bow, while hardly shoegaze, has the same kind of like-minded connection to the form that bands like
Velocity Girl and
Black Tambourine had to
Ride or
Slowdive way back when -- guitars as rich texture, production as important as the song itself, and a healthy love of a '60s sonic never-never land. So when lead singer Heather Larimer breaks into the opening "ba ba ba" part on "Under Rays," the feeling is a classic combination of familiarity and, almost, audacity at going for the engagingly simple. The
Velvets/proto-glam chug of "Wind Me Up" and their sparkling version of Springsteen's "My Love Will Never Let You Down" are also joys but they're among the many throughout the album, consistent in overall sound but never once feeling dull as a result. "You're Alight" might be the standout track of the collection, thanks to Larimer's sweetly gleeful delivery of the title phrase as chorus, the overlay of keyboards and piano on top of the band's arrangement adding a surging power and an overall feeling of euphoric rush, but the equally stirring "Go Dancing" isn't that far behind when it comes to stepping out and putting a smile on your face. Nicholas Larimer, though he takes less of the lead overall, gets his moments as well, with "Take It or Leave It" being a steady, rumbling winner with a lovely guitar-led conclusion. If
Broken Bow is low-key and pleasant rather than immediate and monumental (or aiming to be), it's exactly what the now well established band wants to do in the first place. ~ Ned Raggett