Margo - Catnap
by Chris Jones
published: 27 / 3 / 2004

Label:
Tsk! Tsk!
Format: CD
intro
"Subtle and soft" electro-pop debut album from French trio Margo, who the indie world will hopefully be hearing much more from in the future
It seems that electro-pop is quietly becoming the new indie rock around my neck of the woods. At the cool Japanese restaurant down the street, not only is it often played on the stereo but you can overhear conversations about the latest electro-pop releases and shows. While I haven't heard anyone mention this debut LP by Margo yet, I won't be surprised when I do. Margo isn't really a "Margo". It's three people from France who make the kind of music that will feel immediately familiar to fans of the Morr Music sound or the likes of I Am Robot and Proud or Mira Calix. It's subtle and soft, but it doesn't just blow away and get lost in the background. The majority of the songs on this album have female vocals which add to the soft feel of the music. At times, the vocals sound a bit like what I imagine a 13-year old Hope Sandoval would sound like. And at the age of 13, "Hope" sounds a bit happier than she does in Mazzy Star. Musically, there is the requisite mix of electronics and "real" instruments that seem to define the electro-pop sound. The electronics bring the beats and big, deep, grumbly bass tones along with some glitches and odd noises here and there (does a coffee maker count as an electronic instrument?). The "real" instruments tend to bring the melody and a bit of warmth with them. The guitar at the beginning of the song 'Ma Voisine' even manages to give a post-rock feel (Bark Psychosis not Tortoise) and it would have been nice to hear more than just the 2 minutes that this song spans. Fortunately, there's more guitar and some piano in the next song "Cloud's Juice' and this song lasts about 8 minutes. This debut full length from Margo is a welcome addition to the electro-pop library. It's subtle and soothing in a noticeable way. It seems to create a sense of space without claiming that space nor getting lost in it. Hopefully we'll hear more from Margo in the future and maybe by then we'll know if electro-pop is the new indie rock or just the adult contemporary of the indie and electronica generations.
Track Listing:-
1 La Baumette2 Take Me
3 Warm
4 The Rest
5 Sifits
6 My Cat
7 Coffee Song
8 Luminous
9 Ma Voisine
10 Cloud's Juice
11 Le Bal
most viewed articles
current edition
Deb Googe and Cara Tivey - InterviewJack Frost - As Seen on TV
Nils Petter Molvaer - El Molino, Barcelona, 24/4/2025
John McKay - Interview
Editorial - July 2025
Robert Forster - Interview
When Rivers Meet - Waterfront, Norwich, 29/5/2025
Kruder and Dofmeister - Paral-lel 62, Barcelona, 27/4/2025
Skunk Anansie - Old Market, Brighton, 16/5/2025
Yardbirds - Des Plaines Theater, Des Plaines, 18/4/2025
most viewed reviews
current edition
Davey Woodward - Mumbo in the JumboVultures - Liz Kershaw Session 16.06.88
Billy Nomates - Metalhorse
HAIM - I Quit
Vinny Peculiar - Things Too Long Left Unsaid
Peter Doolan - I Am a Tree Rooted to the Spot and a Snake Moves Around Me,in a Circle
Pulp - More
Garbage - Let All That We Imagine Be The Light
Morcheeba - Escape The Chaos
Little Simz - Lotus
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart