Labels: self released
Review by: MH
Ma Jolie means “my pretty” in French so I’m presuming this lot sit at home watching Lord of the Rings DVDs dubbed into French. They might also have named themselves after how Angelina Jolie’s mum is known in the local neighbourhood. Or are they named after a Bear vs Shark song? I suppose they could be named after the Picasso painting but that is surely the least likely scenario. They come from Philadelphia and the email that came with this link said they have previously been compared to Superchunk, Samiam and The Loved Ones which was reason enough for me to want to give this a listen”¦even if I am often sceptical about some of the stuff that gets said in press releases. Opener “88 mph” is a good indicator of what is to follow – it has that punchy, punky, indie rocky thing going on and the vocals strain and the drums and guitars drive the song on. If I’m not mistaken, the song title is a “Back To The Future” reference. There are ten energetic and melodic tracks here with plenty of heart and I’d say they are closer to The Loved Ones than the other bands mentioned. They are mostly mid-paced and pound along nicely although a couple of punkier tunes speed things up. This is a pretty solid album. It is a promising start and might appeal if you like bands like The Loved Ones plus newer bands with a bit of a 90s thing going on like Luther. I’ve mentioned Ma Jolie to a few friends who go mad for bands like this.