Indie-rock meets French pop to sublime effect on Trompe l'Oeil, the debut album by Quebecois francophone band Malajube. Named after an amphibian disease, Malajube rejects indie-rock tropes, and despite hailing from the same city (Montreal) that spawned popular powerhouses such as The Arcade Fire and Broken Social Scene, the band remains little-known in most circles.
Malajube's quirky power-pop sound should seem familiar to fans of The Flaming Lips or the Super Furry Animals, with a touch of The Beatles at times. On "Montreal -40C," Malajube constructs a warm mixture of "ba ba ba"s, lighthearted synths and infectious melodies. The band may craft a disparate blend of rock influences, but in the end, it ends up making lovely, hummable guitar-pop with an air of mystery and romance.
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