While I found LMALL's
Plaskaplaskabombelibom fun but a tad underwhelming, this disc
- a compilation of EP tracks, comp appearances, and demos - has
really impressed me. Perhaps a little rougher around the edges
compared to Plaska, La Belle Epop (get it??) is a
spacious and intriguing pop album blessed with varying textures and
sounds.
The first five songs
come from the band's 2004 EP, revealing the origins of their synth-laden
twee sound. Its songs are nifty, rough-around-the-edges nuggets from
the lo-fi underground, among them the dense and variegated "A Tea at
the Station" and Beatles-influenced romp "Aging Again."
Expect DIY recording conditions, imperfect compositions, and
bucket-loads of spirit. "A Pretty Shore",
one of the best, is a spectral allusion to Young Marble Giants and
Broadcast.
Deeper into the
album, we arrive at comp track "Could I Call You Honey?" (busy and
unpolished but anointed with moments of bliss) and several
unreleased morsels, including winsomely Arcade Fire-inspired
"The Blogger and the Dandy" and radiant "In all the X-mas Trees."
Tacked on at the end is the best track off Plaskaplaskabombelibom,
"Apples," in both bare-boned demo form and juicy full version. This
collection of songs is sometimes haphazard and exclusively
unpolished, but LMALL's obvious talent renders the exercise
undeniably enjoyable.