Les Petits Sous
Le Projet de John Hughes
(Les Petits Sous)
When I was in high school, I never once received a noogie. I never got in a fight, and although I was snapped with a wet towel (who wasn't?) on ocassion post shower during gym class, my memories of those four years are pretty average. I was never super popular, but never really picked on, and even though I played some sports, I wasn't gung-ho enough to be a sporto. Finding myself in a John Hughes movie, I would have blended into the background, as I wasn't really interesting enough to fit into any real category, instead sort of finding little interests in everything before I made my way out of there.
Les Petits Sous makes sweet pop/rock music with high school crushes and problems on the mind. Although I'm not sure how old the bandmembers are, Le Projet de John Hughes is a 6 track EP of tracks written for an unmade film by the same director (hence, the title). With song titles like "Your Big Brown Eyes," and "I Took You For A Ride" (written out in both French and English on the cover art, natch), it's easy to tell the group doesn't exactly have larger world problems on their mind
Still, though, it was McCartney who wrote "Silly Love Songs" and he's probably correct that although it seems like the world would have had enough by now, there always seems to be room for another catchy one, and that's just what the trio does. "Junior High" bounds along with twanging guitars and boy/girl vocals before locking down a bit for a slightly more rockin' chorus. "The Movie In Your Mind" finds guitars fuzzed-out to nice levels while a drum machine beat anchors things and two-part female vocals reminds me of another New York city band (Luscious Jackson, which I think has since become defunct).
The only time that the group stumbles a bit on the short (under 25 minutes) EP is on the final, very overblown "You Are The Coolest," in which all members coo their lyrics before rocking out with another loud chorus. Compared to shorter, slicker tracks on the disc, it lumbers on too long, and doesn't flow as well, although the tongue-in-cheek nature of the track is probably the point as well. Not quite as polished as a more overtly pop group like That Dog, the young group still obviously has a knack for writing catchy music hooks and lyrics that involve sneaking off to the bathroom at a party to make out with someone. As Ferris Bueller (non John Hughes film, I apologize) once said, "it's childish I know, but then again so is high school."
Rating: 6.25
