Juniore: Trois, Deux, Un (Le Phonographe)

Parisian indie pop experts return with excellent second album

Released Sep 13th, 2024 via Le Phonographe / By Richard Lewis
Juniore: Trois, Deux, Un (Le Phonographe) Setting out their stall with a succession of superb singles and EPs, Parisian indie pop outfit Juniore's outstanding 2020 debut LP Un, Deux, Trois, crystalized the group's plaiting of 1960s garage rock with Francophone pop. Recently resurfacing with a score of hugely well received UK shows, Trois, Deux, Un continues the group's superlative run.

Citing Michel Legrand, composer of bedrock classics The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964) and The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967) as an inspiration, his influence can be glimpsed in sun dappled beachside strolls Bowling de Diano Marina, named after a resort across the border in Liguria, Italy and Rivera homage Méditerranée.

Piloted by Sam Osta's estimbale guitar riffs, alongside their trademark indie rock rushes - lead single Le Silence rocks like a supercharged ye-ye classic and Monumental conjours up images of Marianne Faithfull speeding past on a Harley – the band have devloped soncially since their debut.

Sauvage is a genuine curveball, a tempo shifting piece with spoken word backing vocals that cleaves towards progressive rock, while song suite A quoi bon? (What’s the Point?), is a series of short interlinked pieces held together by superlative drummer Swanny Elzingre’s nimble timekeeping. The aptly titled Grand Voyager recalls Versailles’ finest Air with its gentle, stargazing psychedelia while Déjà Vu could double up as an offbeat sci-fi flick theme.

Making the most of lead singer Anna-Jean's gorgeous vocals, Amour Fou finds the trio in torch song mode and vintage sounding cut Elle Est Où ? is redolent of Phil Spector’s teen heartbreak symphonies. The summit of the journey is reached with La fumée, its motorik rhythm, ascending harmony vocals and jazzy trumpet solo combining to beautiful effect. Brass reappears in the fanfares of Dans le dos, a lovely Beatles-esque psych pop missive.

One of the this year's most welcome returns, staged with their usual effortless cool, hopefully the next installments - possibly titled Quatre, Cinq, Six and Six, Cinq, Quatre on this evidence? - will be with us soon. 4/5