There’s something oddly refreshing at the heart of France dance duo The Penelopes’ brand of twangy, ambient rock n’ roll. Picture the electric Fender reverb of a 1960′s strat mixed with a layer of synth and bubblegum pop dance beats, and you’re only getting a small part of the picture. The Penolopes’ sound is perfect for everything from breaking up a rave with a brawl, or taking a road trip as far away from the civilized world as possible.
The Penelopes have some endearing habits, like what seems to be a quasi-OCD habit of chorusing “Hey!” on tracks like “Stuck in Lalaland” and “Gut Feeling” proves at once anthemic and ambivalent; they repeatedly capture the weirder and more eccentric, rebellious side of early 80′s new wave and the modern music scene while establishing themselves as something undeniably unique.
Words by Jeff Nau
