TRACKLIST: 01. Aerostat 02. Microclimat 03. The naked kiss 04. Shooting stars 05. Baby blue 06. Lazy 07. En la arena blanca 08. Hysteria 67 09. Red bar evenings 10. Guéthary 11. That jazz!
We had to wait longer than we wanted, but here we have at least the fantastic new album by SPRING, a magnificent collection of songs equally delightful for the sight and the hearing. The sight, of course, because their usual designer has done a great job again, elegant and perfectly adapted to the smart image and the universe of the band. And hearing, obviously, because on “The Last Goodbye” (the song by Andy Williams is only the first reference on a long list where admiration, influence and friendship are mixed up) the band from Paris has joined the best virtues from all their previous records to shape their most complete record to this date, announcing a new stage full of great achievements and unforgettable moments.
Now the French scene is receiving a well-deserved attention from both the media and the public, it’s good to remember that it was SPRING who paved the way for all this to happen, making us all turn our looks to their country. With good taste, charme and constant work, SPRING have reached an enviable cult status which is getting closer to become massive: Spain and France are their natural territories, and the rest of Europe is slowly falling under their spell, gracias a la edición de sus discos en el selecto sello alemán Bungalow; in England they have such famous fans as STEREOLAB, MOOSE or ST ETIENNE, and have been interviewed by the Melody Maker and other trend-setting media; Japan fell for them a long time ago, and the fever has just started in the USA with the inclusion of their songs in movie soundtracks and compilations, and with the big interest of some important companies on the band. The excellent video done for the song “Chuck It Up!” (taken from their previous mini-CD “Out Of Time”, along with DJ Pez) can be seen in stations all over Europe, Japan and the USA, and the new live line-up turns their shows into really groovy, stylish parties.
“The Last Goodbye” mixes up glass-smashing pop and bossanova, acoustic guitars and moogs, hispanic atmospheres and smokey jazz from the Parisian cafes, STEREOLAB’s elegance and ST ETIENNE’s hedonism. Numerous collaborations feature Javier Corcobado (the most renown and admired Spanish crooner), Lincoln Fong (THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN, COCTEAU TWINS...), Joan Vich (ex-THE FRANKENBOOTIES, PATRULLERO MANCUSO), Juan Monje (YOGUR, PATRULLERO MANCUSO), Xavi Suárez (LA BUSQUEDA)... polishing and enriching the band’s sound, in a clear example of their concept of pop: a philosophy of life which includes both the music itself and the long chats about records, movies or travels around a table with some empty bottles of Rioja 73. SPRING teach us how to enjoy life, and they even give us the best soundtrack for it.
