wed 11/12/2024

CD: The Limiñanas - Shadow People | reviews, news & interviews

CD: The Limiñanas - Shadow People

CD: The Limiñanas - Shadow People

Gallic hipsters lay down some classy psychedelic pop

Summery psychedelia for the Shadow People

The Limiñanas are considered something of a musical jewel across the Channel but, like many fine mainland European bands before them, have been somewhat criminally ignored in the UK over their nine-year career. In a just world and with the wind blowing in the right direction, Shadow People, their latest album of beguiling and psychedelic guitar pop, however, would certainly change that.

Well, if the anglophone world was more prepared to listen to pop songs that aren’t necessarily sung in an approximation of the Queen’s English, it might.

Taking its cues from the more relaxed end of the Velvet Underground’s repertoire and Serge Gainsbourg’s collaborations with Brigitte Bardot, Shadow People has plenty to mark it out from the psychedelic crowd in a hazy European trip that manages to both spin heads and swing hips. With the help of fellow travellers like Anton Newcombe of the Brian Jonestown Massacre and former New Order bassman Peter Hook, Marie and Lionel Limiñana take motoric grooves, yé-yé flavours and cool but whimsical vibes and turn them into sunny psychedelia that can’t help but put smiles on faces. Songs sung in English, like the trippy “Pink Flamingos”, rub up against Lionel’s spoken French in “Le Premier Jour” and lively instrumentals, like the driving groove of “Ouverture”, to create a potent brew. Hooky’s bass and a Jesus and Mary Chain vibe even suggest something of a nod to pre-Madchester indie pop in “The Gift”. However, it’s the whoozy title track with Emmanuelle Seigner’s sultry vocals and “Trois Bancs” with its heavy psych groove and tribal thump, that really provide the rich icing on this particularly tasty space cake.

In these cold and wintery months, Shadow People will be something of a welcome relief for those of a psychedelic bent with its warm and summery Gallic sounds. The Limiñanas surely deserve a larger audience than that though.

Marie and Lionel Limiñana take motoric grooves, yé-yé flavours and cool but whimsical vibes and turn them into sunny psychedelia

rating

Editor Rating: 
4
Average: 4 (1 vote)

Explore topics

Share this article

Add comment

The future of Arts Journalism

 

You can stop theartsdesk.com closing!

We urgently need financing to survive. Our fundraising drive has thus far raised £33,000 but we need to reach £100,000 or we will be forced to close. Please contribute here: https://gofund.me/c3f6033d

And if you can forward this information to anyone who might assist, we’d be grateful.

Subscribe to theartsdesk.com

Thank you for continuing to read our work on theartsdesk.com. For unlimited access to every article in its entirety, including our archive of more than 15,000 pieces, we're asking for £5 per month or £40 per year. We feel it's a very good deal, and hope you do too.

To take a subscription now simply click here.

And if you're looking for that extra gift for a friend or family member, why not treat them to a theartsdesk.com gift subscription?

newsletter

Get a weekly digest of our critical highlights in your inbox each Thursday!

Simply enter your email address in the box below

View previous newsletters