Malajube

I came across Malajube listening to CBC radio 3. They are an interesting mix of genres sometimes pop, but complex enough to avoid the negative connotations of that descriptor. To be honest I'm not even sure what pop means anymore, I've been so far removed from popular music for so long that the word has lost all context for me... They're pop in my world which according to Brian Howe makes them resolutely of-the-moment indie rock. They may be just that, but I think they're at least equal parts trend setting and trend tending.

They sing in French, a language I'm told people speak in la belle pays of Quebec. Although it helps to know some French I don't think it's essential, the songs are beautiful and engaging, with lush arrangements and varied vocal styles, certainly enough to leave you content if all the lyrics remind you of a strangely melodic version of blue nuit.

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Reviews:
Pitchforkmedia's Brian Howe - 8.2/10.0 It's not that they're derivative-- the inventive arrangements and zealous intensity of their second album make it difficult to countenance any suspicions of opportunistic hit-knitting. But their approach to indie rock is so resolutely of-the-moment that it seems filled with hyper-modern allusions. Malajube's music is labyrinthine, filled with multi-directional trapdoors-- some drop down to lower landings of the songs; some let out into realms recently conquered by other indie heroes (particularly of the Polaris Prize-nominated variety).

Exercises for the reader:
Montréal� 40 °C
La monogamie
Fille à plumes