Les Respectables are a Canadian band, born out of Quebec, with a vibrant rock ‘n roll stance on French music. There’s a heavy Rolling Stones theme, jinking twinkling piano and organ riffs that complement the cowbell heavy ‘Cette Fille’. This is a catchy bluesy rock and roll album filled to the brim with feel good songs. There’s some pretty nifty guitar work too. Sebastian Plante on lead vocal, drives from the front. He’s not Mick Jagger, but then ‘Who Is Mick Jagger?’, but Plante’s got a great rock voice that brings the whole band together as a unit.
It’s not just all straight down the line blues though. Ironically, the track titled ‘Bleu’ is a more of a poppy affair with elements of reggae and ska, steel drums and an accordion, both featuring on the next track ‘C’est La Vie’. It’s a very likeable track, melodious and happy but pretty different from the first three tracks. It’s almost as if the album has been split down the middle – it could be two different bands. This is no criticism of Les Respectables at all – it shows versatility and competence in their instrumentality that they are able to switch up with such confidence and pull it off. There’s not too many bands that would dare to do so, and for that we applaud them.
Then we have ‘Faux Printemps’ and ‘Quitter La Ville’ which are slower pop numbers, and then back to their best with ‘French Town Funk’ and ‘Vive Le Rock and Roll’ to bring it all home in true Les Respectables style. An album filled with surprises that covers some unfamiliar territory but one that was enjoyed nonetheless.