Review: Coromandelles – Late Bloomer’s Bloomers

Coromandelles
Late Bloomers’ Bloomers

Porch Party Records/Burger Records
Street Date: 10.20
Coromandelles = Cold Showers x Melody’s Echo Chamber x Kurt Vile

Coromandelles are one of the newest supergroups on the scene, fronted by Tijuana Panthers’ Dan Michicoff and backed by drummer Joe Plummer (Cold War Kids, The Shins, Modest Mouse). The resulting album is textured and leisurely, with power pop tendencies and mostly French lyrics. There’s plenty of energy that courses underneath the album’s cloudy overlay, with skittering drums, thick bass lines and glistening guitar riffs. Each standalone track grooves along cohesively enough, but a listen-through of the album feels jarring at times, prompting some raised eyebrows here and there. “Mon Chermin” and “Jaq” add a part rockabilly, psych and surf pop twang to Michicoff’s vocals. The tracks might have fit into a compilation album alongside Charlotte Gainsbourg, but the next song, “Late Bloomers,” cuts the spell short, sounding too punchy and hasty in comparison. Aside from the few transitional hiccups, though, Late Bloomers’ Bloomers makes for a plenty pleasant daydream. –Kathy Zhou