Tahiti 80 - The Past, The Present & The Possible

Name a French band who have enjoyed success in the UK. Go on. If you answered ‘Phoenix’, good job. If you struggle to think of any others, that’s perfectly acceptable because, well, we do too. Domestic success clearly does not equate to waves being made elsewhere. Tahiti 80 should know; they’ve been together for all of 18 years at this stage, and whilst quite well known in their home country, they’ve never caused as much of a ripple here. There will be people familiar with ‘Big Day’, especially if they’re FIFA fans (it was featured on the 2007 edition’s soundtrack), but otherwise unaware of the Gallic electro-pop merchants.

It’s possible that their new album could change this. If ever there was a song that could propel them into the British public eye, then it is surely ‘Darlin’ (Adam And Eve Song)’, which, had it been written by a British or American group with a similar sound (and we all know there’s space for them in the charts nowadays), would definitely have been a hit. There are a number of other songs that have serious potential; case in point, ‘Want Some?’, which is dreamy and uplifting in equal measure. The six-piece are evidently very good at two things, both as important as each other: creating irresistible melodies and exercising stringent quality control methods.

No song stands out as being weaker than the rest, and at times the listener is left scratching their head in bewilderment that a band that write songs as infectious as, say, ‘Defender’, haven’t made more of an impact, but there is plenty to suggest that that time may be about to come to an end. When they cut loose on an epic, eight-minute version of ‘Crack Up’, ‘The Past, The Present & The Possible’ reaches a peak higher than any that could have been expected. It is left to the more subdued ‘4AM’ to finish proceedings, but it is when the group are heard to have fun that they’re at their best. They’re not afraid to let their playful side show, and should be commended for matching that with a pop sensibility that would leave many others in the shade. Memo to the rest of the world: Tahiti 80 are back, and this time they mean ‘bizness’.