Le Coup Du Parapluie - Philosophie, Bien-Etre & Crimes Passionnels (Self Release)

Le Coup Du Parapluie are quite a mysterious band: While trawling through various websites trying to find out some information (getting more and more frustrated with Google Translate’s grammar) all I could really find out is that they are a power rock trio from Belgium that describe their music as ‘cinematic’. Either that or I’m about to review a French comedy film from 1980. So, knowing very little else about the band I suppose I should get straight to the music: 

As album opener ‘Bend and Break Fast’ played through, I thought I could predict what was to follow. It sounded like it was going to be a conventional ride with changing rhythms here, riff sections there and lots of over the top instrumental sections that last about five minutes longer than required. But listening through the album in its entirety, I couldn’t have been more wrong. It is gritty and fast paced (imagine Incubus crossed with The Mars Volta); the songs are long and expansive, but never dull. Some of the instrumental sections are so well thought out that I would almost put them on a par with those of the aforementioned The Mars Volta. Indeed with better production I think they would almost certainly be at the same level. ‘Le Loup Dans La Bergerie’ is an eight minute track that is fully instrumental, but not once during those eight minutes do you wonder when it’s going to end, which is quite an impressive feat. The soundscape they create using little more than the guitar-bass-drums combination with a few synths here and there is huge and makes sense of them describing their sound as ‘cinematic’. 

Although very good, ‘Philosophie, Bien-Etre & Crimes Passionnels‘ is nowhere near a masterpiece. There is something about it though; it’s not the greatest album I’ve ever heard by any means, however I have had it on repeat all day and would recommend that you get your hands on a copy of it and do the same thing. 8/10 

www.lecoupduparapluie.com