Comprised of just guitar, drums, and vocal harmonies, American/French duo
Special Friend have an economic approach to indie rock that still manages to make a big noise. The duo of drummer/vocalist Erica Ashleson and guitarist/vocalist Guillaume Siracusa first made a rushed and scrappy self-titled EP in 2019 before stretching out on their still compact but more fully realized first full-length album
Ennemi Commun.
Special Friend's sometimes delicate, sometimes excitable songs take notes from some fairly commonplace indie influences. The unhurried pacing, simple sing-song melody, and kick into friendly distortion on the chorus of opening track "Motel" are all straight from the
Yo La Tengo playbook. The blitzed fuzz guitar tones and ramshackle hooks of "Forest" and the melancholic vocal harmonies of "Pastel" bring to mind '90s mainstays like
Sebadoh and lesser-known acts like
Guv'ner and
Butterglory. If reimagining '90s indie rock was the full scope of
Special Friend's music,
Ennemi Commun would still be a solid set of wistful guitar pop. However, the band reaches beyond known indie rock templates to incorporate moments of moody slowcore drifting and hints of dazzled shoegaze guitar textures. The metered, flowing "Deconstructionist" grows from gentle harmonies and minimal verses into swells of fuzzy, delay-doused guitar. The hushed intimacy of "Movement of the Planets" recalls the pristine sadness of bands like
Bedhead, cutting deep to an emotional core without ever rising much above a whisper.
Ennemi Commun highlights
Special Friend's specific subtlety. With such minimal arrangements, there's lots of space to fill and every minor shift is easy to spot. Throughout the album, the duo make every choice intentionally, delivering a diverse array of sentiments and sonics and having fun even when the volume is low. ~ Fred Thomas