French Horn Rebellion - The Infinite Music Of…

While the brotherly Brooklyn-based duo of Robert and David Perlick-Molinari have been remixing everyone from OMD to Savoir Adore for many a month now, the sight of an album of their own work is not an unwelcome one by any stretch. Their production duties have been known to demonstrate a great range of approaches on the singles they’ve re-worked recently, showing playful touches one minute and dark, delicate undertones the next.

This palpable strand of wide-ranging ambition spills over into ‘The Infinite Music Of French Horn Rebellion’ very noticeably. It soon becomes clear that there are plenty of ideas at work here, and although not all of them come across as particularly listener-friendly, some of them are executed very well.

After a sedate beginning to the album, second track ‘The Body Electric’ suddenly takes hold in feverish fashion. Mad clatters of snares and whoomps quickly give way to an ultimately catchy refrain, sounding like FHR are channelling the energy of early work by artists like New Young Pony Club and Xerox Teens, but on an altogether livelier, fizzier cocktail. The same element of fun is present on ‘Up All Night’ and ‘This Moment’, giving the impression that these tracks represent the moments where the duo are at their best.

They let themselves down with tracks like ‘New Florida’, whose forgettable mish-mash of instrumental segments develop into the kind of experimentation which leaves a lot to be desired, resulting in a sound which makes the listener feel they’re walking through a badly-lit aquarium on acid. These are the instances which do little to help the record’s overall sense of cohesion, inevitably proving tiresome as the wait for another upbeat song carries on.

Despite the odd blip however, French Horn Rebellion have come up with an album which boasts regular expressions of high-energy quality. There are basslines aplenty and a whole myriad of interesting synth textures which will delight dancefloors and deckchairs in equal measure. The record may be three or four tracks too long, but it’s a fascinating journey spent picking out the good ‘uns.