You hardly need me to tell you that Lùlù's self-titled debut album is going to be one of this summer's hottest album releases. Once the band dropped its crackling debut single back in November, I think we all began to eagerly await a full album. And as more singles were leaked in the ensuing months, it became obvious that Lùlù was no one-hit-wonder. Sometimes all it takes is two or three songs to establish that a band has something special cooking. Whatever "it" is, Fanny, Luc, Sabrina, Simon, and Théo have got it in spades.
Based in Lyon and Marseille, Lùlù is both very typical of the modern-day European power pop scene but also completely unique in that scene. For one thing, the band's lyrics are sung in French and Italian. And in terms of its musical influences, Lùlù is anything but conventional in the power pop world. Some of its inspirations (Italian pop, '70s riff rock, '60s pop, classic soul music) are easily discernible. Others (modern hardcore and dark Scandinavian punk) are more subtle but definitely part of the unique musical mélange that makes Lùlù such a standout band. Part of me feels like I'm missing out a little since I don't really know what the lyrics are saying. But another part of me feels like it doesn't really matter. One only needs to be fluent in the universal language of rock 'n' roll to enjoy and appreciate this remarkable debut album. You can feel the energy and the joy in every note. This album (co-released by Howlin Banana, Dangerhouse Skylab, and Taken by Surprise Records) was made to be blasted at full volume while you're driving way too fast with the windows down, dancing on the beach in your Speedo, guzzling beers in the backyard, pre-gaming for a live show, or enjoying the summer in any other possible manner. These songs are massively catchy, and they rock just as much as they pop. Even if you took out the two bookend smashes ("Lùlù" and "Sur la Corde"), you'd still have a pretty great album. You can call Lùlù a fantastic power pop album, but that doesn't quite do it justice. It's just a fantastic album, period, and it brings a true jolt of excitement into the indie rock scene. You're gonna see a lot of rave reviews for this thing, and all of them are fully deserved!
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