What are the ingredients in Tahiti 80’s secret recipe? Try a cup of britpop, two tablespoons of acoustic guitars and a dash of electronica, then generously season with lighthearted charm. This unique combination is what gives this four-piece group its life, and is why all ears should be open to the cheerful, yet reflective music of Tahiti 80’s latest album, Puzzle. On this record, lead vocalist Xavier Boyer, guitarist Mederic Gontier, drummer Sylvain Marchand, and bassist Pedro Resende come together to produce a timeless sound with influences like The Beatles, Cardigans, and The Kinks. Puzzle features twelve songs written and performed by these four ambitious Parisians.
Boyer, the charismatic frontman of the band, had the first hand at writing the majority of the songs on Puzzle, such as the oh-so-summery song “Yellow Butterfly". Nevertheless, the rest of the band has contributed to all the lyrics on the album.
“Made First (Never Forget)", which was written primarily by Mederic Gontier with aid from the rest of the band, has a nostalgic, magical feel to it. The band makes good use of simple chords on clean guitars, using a limited number of instruments to make the sound that is solely theirs.
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“Mr. Davies" is simple, sweet, and absolutely charming, using synthed strings and hints of electronic voice altering (think Cher’s hit, "Believe").
The listener will also be pleased to hear trumpets, flugehorns, organs, and various noises mixed in with the music on Puzzle, such as on “Hey Joe". And if you have a computer, the CD has a really cool CDROM feature that lets you listen to music, visit sites on the band, and see a music video for the funked-up tune “Heartbeat".
Fans of mellow acoustic music and of spunky britpop alike should be pleased with Puzzle, as it contains enough of each to satisfy both types of listener. Judging by the balanced combination of talent and charisma that Tahiti 80 has seemed to master, it smells like something good might be cooking.
By Betsy MacDonald, CanEHdian.com
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