Eux Autres' 2012 EP
Sun Is Sunk is a perky, sunny 15 minutes of indie pop that takes about as long to digest as a giant lollipop. It will give you the same kind of sugar rush and has the same amount of nutritional value as well. Heather Larimer's vocals are like a fructose IV and the group's melodies are simple and pure, conjuring up a less noisy and intense early-'90s Amerindie band. Like
Velocity Girl,
Butterglory, or the
Unrest songs that Bridget sang. Though the uptempo tracks are the most fun, and "Right Again" and "Call It Off" are lots of fun, when they slow down and aim for a more thoughtful mood things get more interesting. The minor-key "Broken Record" is a lovely, melancholy duet (with Nicholas Larimer almost keeping up with Larimer in the vocal stakes) and "Down Your Street" is a moving ballad that shows that the band has a deeper grasp of dynamics and the ability to bring it way down without getting boring. It's an avenue worth exploring on future albums, but as it stand,
Sun Is Sunk provides a nice reminder of how pleasant and nice
Eux Autres are at their core. ~ Tim Sendra