From 2003, this one passed us by for a bit as we tried to track it down and get it in here for you. And talk about being worth the wait. If I had known about the release in 2003, it surely would made my Top 20 with its transcendent, constant jangling, ringin bliss that reminds us of equal parts of The Smithereens, Diesel Park West(uncanny, for fans of this band), some mid 80`s REM, The Rain Parade and lots of the early 90`s jangle sounds that came from Australia 10 years ago(The Chills, The Bats, Straightjacket Fits without the dissonance...this is all pop here!)...also, the really poppy side of Spoon and have to mention a most obvious reference on a lot of the material here: classic Squeeze. Truly, one can say "it`s all good....very, very, very good!". "4 stars.. The Bon Mots just may be Chicago`s best-kept secret. Coming together from lesser-known groups like Big Angry Fish, Emil Muzz, and Feedbag, this quartet takes elements of 1960s Anglo-pop like the Kinks, and New Zealand`s Flying Nun stable, and fleshes them out with innovative keyboard fills and muscular drums. The band`s winning Neal Ostrovsky-produced debut, Le Main Drag is propelled by dueling frontmen Mike Coy and Eric Chial, who split their time between guitar and bass duties. Coy`s infectious "Glistening" opens the set with a well-plotted, upbeat pop song that chronicling a fascination with cigarette-clutching supermodels. Giving way to Chial`s Marshall Crenshaw-like pipes on "Nocturna`"; a lush, dreamy ode that explores the Mots` depth."-AMG.
Read On, it`s not just me that is completely awe-struck by this one! "Defies any attempt to easily categorize them as mere revisionists . . .a skewered delivery, an atmospheric, heavily textured ambiance that makes their approach sound slightly somewhat aloof and less embraceable than those they`re said to emulate. In that sense, they more accurately resemble bands like the Church and REM, groups that also draw on `60s references but often filter them through a hazy, psychedelic sheen. The droll vocals . . . contribute to this perception . . . there`s an understated irony that frequently underscores their bittersweet melodies."-Amplifier. ""The Bon Mots` brand of breathy pop is both hummable and mordant - a rare trait, to be certain - and that lethal combination tags them as one of the brightest stars on the pop frontier."-Splendid. "Appealingly jangly psychedelic/power-pop quartet that draws on the familiar influences of the Byrds and the Zombies but rises to the top of this always-overcrowded genre by virtue of its strong songwriting, Chris Frantisak`s atmospheric keyboards and the swirling production of its 12-song album . . . it`s worth attention. At its best moments, it evokes the Rain Parade`s classic "Emergency Third Rail Power Trip."-Jim DeRogatis, Chicago Sun-Times. "They take the best parts of late 80`s New Zealand jangle (think Straightjacket Fits) and blend it into their own near-perfect stew."-Dagger. "Bon Mots reference decades worth of catchy guitar pop, touching on everything from the 60`s sounds of the Kinks and the Zombies to the kiwi rock of New Zealand`s Flying Nun label. Mike Coy and Eric Chial trade songwriting duties and vocals throughout the album, yet Le Main Drag retains a cohesive feel from start to finish."-Impact Press. EXTREMELY Highly Recommended!
 Glistening - mp3
Taillights - mp3
Under Wraps - mp3
Five Coats - mp3
Nocturna - mp3 |
