13 Apr 2012 — Henning Lahmann
Informed by no wave, early punk and garage, male/female duo
Looks Like Miao certainly takes comfort in the noisy side of things. Calling the remoteness of the French countryside home, their debut is filled with an odd sort of bustling nervousness that usually does not spring to mind when thinking about the stereotypical origin of
vin rouge and
joie de vivre (pardon). But be that as it may, this is all commendably raw and unpolished material here, straightforward and playful and most of all almost grotesquely accessible, especially the stupefying and thoroughly hilarious "Canif & Diana Ross", but just as well the reverb-dripping, strangely romantic interplay "Minuit 25 ", the LP's second single that was revealed earlier this week. To record the whole album took either exactly 27 minutes (its running length) or a couple of years for all its concealed artsy conceptualisation, but either way it's an alarmingly enjoyable effort. Warmly recommended, provided you dare to step away from the pacifying coziness of Balam Acab for a minute.
Looks Like Miaou's self-titled LP will be out April 30 on Brisbane, Australia-based
Bon Voyage.
Be sure to also check out the even grittier and more furious "Canif & Diana Ross":
