Formed by members of mysterious psychedelic pop troupe
the Sudden Death of Stars and '60s soul revivalists Les Spadassins, French quartet
the Soap Opera have an interesting take on C-86-style indie pop with their debut album,
Ready to Hatch. They have all the requisite jangling guitars, crooning vocals, and winsome melodies firmly in place, each delivered with a frothy and jubilant innocence that makes the songs almost float out of the speakers.
The Soap Opera also add all kinds of surprising elements that give the sound enough twists and turns to keep it interesting. Some of the touches are borrowed from perennial indie pop lenders Orange Juice, like the almost African guitar lines and the complicated chord changes, while some of what they do seems to come out of the blue. Falsetto backing vocals, easy listening percussion, oddly recorded guitars, and messy lead vocals all pop up in the mix and give the proceedings a jolt. The songs are certainly strong enough to stand on their own, especially those with big hooks like "Eggs to Hatch" and those with a lugubrious, heartbroken feel like "You Caught on Fire." The performances, too, are energetic enough on their own to make the record sound really strong, given the moments of weirdness that pop up at just the right times, the offhanded charm of the vocals, and the overall loose-as-a-goose goofball approach the band takes to a style that can often be very rigid and risk-averse.
The Soap Opera take all kinds of chances on
Ready to Hatch and succeed nearly every time, ending up with an album that is sure to please thrill-seeking indie pop fans. ~ Tim Sendra