pop*eye...Jamaica — No Problem (2010)

POP*EYE
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Jamaica
No Problem (2010)

It's a reasonable assumption that an irresistible pop record should be packed with memorable choruses and sublime melodic hooks. The surprising thing about No Problem, the debut album by Paris-based duo Jamaica, is that it manages to be an irresistible pop record despite containing just three songs with these crucial ingredients (Short and Entertaining, Jericho and Gentleman), and an awful lot more that replicate the worst excesses of 1980s soft-rock-pop. Its appeal lies partly in the enthusiasm of guitarist-vocalist Antoine Hilaire; mostly, though, it's in a fascinating production job by Justice's Xavier de Rosnay and Daft Punk's sound engineer, Peter Franco. The sound is intimidatingly pristine; if the evil mercury machine from Terminator 2 mutated into instruments, the music they produced would be as sleek as this. Each snap on the drums is crisp, the guitars strut and spiral into curlicues and bombastic solos, and every note gleams. And between these are so many skronky effects that every listen throws up something new.

Feel like extending summer? Feel like it’s just too soon for sweaters and the fall? Well here’s a big giant slice of transistor radio AM pop to help. The compression is slamming, the tunes aiming for big blasts capital J Jams with nearly no pauses between. It’s just one song and then the next. An obliterated Cars alternate soundtrack to Dazed And Confused/Over The Edge.

Ah, to be swaying in the balmy moonlight with this French duo right now… Um, sorry did we say that out loud? It’s just that Jamaica’s debut reminds us of sweaty, drunken dancefloor romps with Daft Punk, Phoenix and The Teenagers. And while ‘No Problem’ is a little one-dimensional in its sonic palette – each track propelled by jaunty ‘Discovery’-esque scratchy riffs and pounding basslines – its frisky, flippant good-time spirit, airy ‘go get ’em’ feel and the instant hum-ability of Antoine Hilaire and Flo Lyonnet’s melodies are an intoxicating combo. Time to get our heads out of Arcade Fire lyric sheets and into the summer spritzers.

BUY OUR DEBUT ALBUM "NO PROBLEM" >

JAMAICA - 'Short and Entertaining' VIDEO from bermudapants on Vimeo.

BUY THE KITSUNE MAISON 9 COMPILATION feat. "SHORT & ENTERTAINING" HERE


REMIX "I THINK I LIKE U 2". STEMS: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=94DZULJ8


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“A filthy French summer fantasy of a debut!”



the portastylistic