Malajube

Montreal's Malajube return with their pop hooks intact, but there's a softer tone to La Caverne that's surprising. Like few of their contemporaries, Malajube often soak their records in a particular ambience, with Julien Mineau's multi-tracked vocals penetrating a murky flood, dreamily gliding over the band's din. The haze remains and the songs here are adventurous and finely crafted, but the sharp edges of their approach have been dulled somewhat. A major aspect of this Francophone band's appeal lies within their irreverent, super-charged attitude ― a swagger that bolsters their penchant for bombastic arrangements and howling vocals that transcend language barriers. More than any previous effort, La Caverne possesses a plodding pace, with the raw punk power of Malajube shifting to a less immediate space-pop dynamic. It's not uninspired in the least, but La Caverne takes some of the mighty out of Malajube.