Search - Poulain :: For Passsengers (Dig)

"Passengers" satisfies

E. A Solinas | MD USA | 08/02/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Poulain slip rather than roar onto the music scene with "For Passengers," a solid and enticing debut EP. Vaguely dreamy indiepop seems to be their staple -- sometimes catchy, more often not. But they succeed in showing their stuff, and making it seem interesting.



"For Passengers" kicks off with the steady, guitar-driven "Completely Uninterrupted," with its wavery background vocals. "All You Are" is a sweetly simple, ethereal little ballad, while "Wide Awake" slips back into the guitar pop slot. It finishes off with "For You To Decide," a spacey, swirling little confection with distant singing and gentle reverbs.



Imagine a less depressed Belle and Sebastian, and you have some idea of how Poulain sound. Originally it was the brainchild of frontman Isaac Lekach, but now boasts three other people. It comes close to being entrancing, but just narrowly misses. The sound is a little too simple and straightforward, although the final song hints at future brilliance.



Somehow "For Passengers" sounds a lot more complex than it is -- when you get right down to it, there aren't many instruments beyond drums, guitar and bass, and what sounds a bit like a harp or an electronic backdrop. Somehow Lekach and Co. manage to resculpt the sound, making it sound unusually sophisticated, especially for a first effort.



Lekach's vocals sound as flowing as the music does; after a while, it's easy to forget that he's singing at all. He doesn't show a lot of singing range, though; there's just steady mellow crooning. No highs or lows, musically or emotionally. It's just a gentle, steady ride, with simple lyrics about "red rover" and lots about beauty and love. "All you are/is beautiful" -- not terribly deep, but sung in a worshipful way to melt the heart.



Poulain unveil plenty of gentle, not quite catchy indiepop on "For Passengers," and promise to get better as the band progresses. Lekach and his band have the talent and vision -- now just take Poulain deeper."