Luxembourg – ‘Front’ (Dogbox) Released 16/10/06

Like the country, Luxembourg seems to have a spurious reason for its existence and not much to offer the rest of the world or the UK at least. Like the country, the band is landlocked, standing on a cultural divide of sorts and overtly open to outside influence. Leaning toward the pop side of the indie camp, their debut album ‘Front’, at first listen, seems to have one foot firmly stuck in the past and the other desperately wanting to be a part of a collective future, for instance, the Luxembourg Franc vs. the Euro debate.

Sashaying guitars and strutting upright vocals are pitched against a backdrop of shared tragedy and personal triumph that shimmer throughout the bands self-confident and darkened corner of an indie dance floor powered release. This is an album for those who are too young for, but still remember, the tender solitude of Suede and the Britpop disco jauntiness of Pulp, but are old and cool enough to know who Morrissey is. And for those who are old enough to remember, the parallels may be faint at times but obvious none the less. Sung with the conviction of an undiscovered talent, tracks such as ‘We Only Stayed Together For The Kids’, ‘What The Housewives Don’t Tell You’ and ‘Single’ sum up the bands signature sound. There’s more of a straightforward and resigned recounting of factual events and musings, than poetic attitude on display throughout ‘Front’ which helps to underline Luxembourg’s brutal if not understated and open honesty. OK, so it might not be lyrically sharp or adventurous in terms of musical experimentation, but it’s complex simplicity makes up for this and ticks a lot of boxes in the process.

The album is made up of 13 tracks and certainly the first half follow the same musical trend until ‘Taking Over’ which ever so slightly adopts a darker, more painful sound. Vocally unchanging and not wanting to loose what they’ve built up over the prior 6 tracks, it’s still blatantly Luxembourg, but something’s changed, although exactly what that is, isn’t immediately obvious. In parts, such as ‘Making Progress’, ‘Front’ is jaunty (not to be confused with perky), seductive and symphonic, but the vocal starkly contradicts this and is set in direct opposition to the swirling, ecstatic guitar riffs and chewing gum pop powered keyboards on display in tracks such as ‘Luxembourg vs. Great Britain’. Whilst not necessarily dragging the album down, these opposing paradox’s can make it laborious to listen to and rather tiresome.

Luxembourg are certainly trying to achieve something special and clever with ‘Front’, whether or not the gamble has paid off is as always up for discussion, but its certainly not a CD to slip on and listen to while getting ready to go out on a Saturday night. Unless of course you’re off to a half empty club, to drink overpriced rum and cokes, where your mates probably won't show and you accidentally bump into your ex and her new fella.