I'm pretty sure I've mentioned Cajun Dance Party before. A while ago I got their demo through some sleuthy actions. But to recap, here are the nitty gritty details. The band is from London, and is comprised of Daniel Blumberg (vocals), Robbie Stern (guitar), Max Bloom (bass, backing vocals), Vicky Freund (keyboard, backing vocals), and Will Vignoles (drums). They're a bunch of youngsters (very early 20s) who play indie pop rock that's full of energy, creativity, and inventiveness. At the outset of their playing career they were too young to perform in London's bigger "name" venues, so they did what any eager band should do: made the rounds in the city's all-ages clubs. With their first few gigs they quickly gained a rabid following among the teenage set. In early 2007 they signed a deal with XL recordings and were on their way to being endorsed by Thom Yorke and the British music press. Here's an unnecessary factoid for you: their first single "The Next Untouchable" was played on BBC Radio 1 by Steve Lamacq on Feb. 26, 2007.
The debut album The Colourful Life (2008) is a brisk 9-song set coming in around 36 minutes. Four out of the nice songs appeared on their demo and here are given a glossy shine and polish to appease the discerning indie listener. Considering I'd heard almost half the album before I got it I was more interested in what was filling the gaps. Those gaps are filled adequately but offer no new stand-outs except for the groovy second track titled "The Race". The music is characterized by angular, riff-laden guitars; choppy rhythms; and robust arrangements. The production is decidedly better than their demo (of course), and they sound like a band giving 110% on every track. This fact alone makes the album more enjoyable. There are a couple slower ballads to nicely break up the album ("No Joanna" and "Buttercups") and give the scant 36 minutes some needed balance. While the ideas and songs aren't groundbreaking they're fresh and delivered in your face with gusto."Colourful Life"
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