Moss Lime’s downtempo seven-song 10-inch out on Telephone Explosion is loaded with lo-fi charm. The Paris/Montreal trio is more about mood and uniqueness than note-perfect execution and influence-referencing. Singing in English and French, Hélène Barbier is the focal point, her voice a fetching alto with a casual, almost monotone delivery. Best line: “I always get what I want / I want a boyfriend / I haven’t got one.”
Miscellaneous off-mic sounds at the end of a few songs add to the intimate bedroom feel, and every tune is laid-back and unhurried. The guitar lines have some surfy twang, and a vaguely depressed tone cloaks the proceedings. Kettle has skittering, erratic rhythms, while Comfy Cotton Shoes is all surfy twang and hypnotic verses. Their scrappiness, minimalism and brevity cause some of the songs to seem more like sketches, but it all still adds up to an intriguing introduction.
And fans of Young Marble Giants will eat this up.
Top track: Comfy Cotton Shoes