Self-releasing indie rock eps/lps in France nowadays is a desperate move.

Exsonvaldes are French but don't really sound French (apart from the singer's accent) in the sense that their main influences are English and American, the whole post-grunge clique: Smashing Pumpkins, Placebo & co. This is far from being bad, they have clearly improved since the sons/silences ep, the sound is more cohesive and the band tighter. Unfortunately, when listening to this I can't help but have the feeling that I have already listened to these songs over a thousand times. Even if the band masters it their music desperately lacks outbursts of passion and just a tiny bit of originality -even though Someday If I Want to, the opening song, is really nice. The rhythmic section constantly keeps it low while it should reinforce the dynamics of the songs. It's really frustrating, because I've been told that Exsonvaldes were a very good live band, I guess that the studio treatment has somehow turned the passion "off" and made everything sound clinically sterilized. I hope that next time the band succeeds in keeping the energy high during the recording process.   

-Vsevolod

/jan 15th 2002/