Ollano

Over the past few years, France has become a hotbed of cutting edge sounds. From the sparse beats of DJ Cam, the rubber soul-cool of Daft Punk, the charming, modernist Dimitri From Paris to the future prog/psychedelia of Air, dynamic sounds have been swirling about the Gallic capital with a fierceness defining a modern renaissance. Ollano are part of this fantastic musical "springtime in Paris". Ollano's sound is that of languid attitudes and spell-binding beats. With an added dash of female vocals that transcend the Françoise Hardys and Tracey Thorns of the world, the group's self-titled debut has an uncanny ability to entice and entrance. This multi-colored album blends unexpected sounds - Tibetan Bells, psychedelic guitars and wah-wah trumpets. Several tracks stir up images of "Bitches Brew," or more subtle yet attractive moods like Talk Talk's "Spirit Of Eden." In addition, the album's production and mix imparts an often evocative color, such as on the aptly titled track "La Couleur," where an ethereal flute floats on an abstrakt jazz beat: most fitting of the Ollano sound.