monade - monstre comic
This French band emphasizes the joys of veering away from traditional rock. The band’s name comes from a psychological term to describe the infant brain before it splinters into ego, super ego, and id. And fittingly enough, a sense of abstract playfulness is key to this music. The songs are hard to pin down, but “French fantasy-movie soundtrack” is a good place to start with this disc, which feels more art project than rock band. The band seems earnest in their endeavor, and while the music might strike some as overly angular and disconcordant, it also maintains an element of elegance—thanks in large part to the singer’s sweet French lilt, reminiscent of Astrud Gilberto. And for fans of Portishead and Stereolab (whose singer Laetitia Sadier founded this group), Monstre Comic might sound just right.