When French band Lùlù released their eponymously named debut single in the closing weeks of 2024, it felt like the most exciting thing to happen to the power pop world since Gavin Bowles & The Distractions released their debut LP a year earlier, or possibly even since The Shang Hi Los released ‘Aces, Eights & Heartbreaks’ in January 2023. It’s not even that the track broke new ground; far from it, in fact. Its all round brilliance came from a desire to work squarely within a classic style.
The kind of song that can be played on repeat without becoming stale, its opening guitars tap into a sound that hints at UK new wave circa 1979, then a rousing lead guitar cuts through with a high tone and soaring riff, suggesting something great just over the horizon. Then, the band drops into a world of classic, choppy power pop riffs that, augmented by a French vocal, really capture the band’s energy. Best of all, though, the song’s two main hooks – one featuring the band brazenly introducing themselves in a sugary manner, dropping “C’est Lùlù!” almost as punctuation throughout the verse, the other sharing an infectious, very French “’allo, ’allo, ’allo…!” – help to form the kind of earworm that will stick for days.
Used as an opening statement on their full length debut, issued in June 2025, the track loses none of its youthful exuberance. It works brilliantly as high octane musical bait, drawing the listener into the band’s world of chopping guitars and infectious melodies. Even though some of their other material takes on a slightly tougher tone during this record’s ten song journey, ‘Lùlù’ shows off a great band in flawless form, making the album worth the asking price on its own. That said, ‘Tous les etes’ is almost as strong with its chunky, early 80s inspired guitar work and much punchier sound, often driven by Fanny’s tight drumming. Musically, it’s a match for any of that era’s brigade of skinny tie wearers, and the way another soaring lead guitar lifts the melody really makes the track. For those who like things direct, a solid shout-along chorus lends some extra edginess and, as before, the lack of English lyric doesn’t actually make this a difficult listen. At the point where things appear to wrap up rather naturally, there’s also a great twist here when the band drop into a funky riff that’s more of the tough indie persuasion, and Simon and Theo’s twin guitar work presents itself with plenty of swagger.
By comparison, ‘Pugni in Tasca’ presents a tougher guitar sound, drawing a little more from garage rock and, along with a slightly shouty vocal, shows off a harder edge to the band’s work. However, a buoyant rhythm, occasional ventures into harmonic guitar work, a huge amount of cowbell and some sugary backing vocals give the track a welcome feeling of balance. The counter vocal during the number’s closing moments is especially smart – again, giving a further insight into how melodic these musicians can be. It doesn’t have the immediacy of their eponymously named track, but in time, this could be a fan favourite. Offering much more of a power pop stance and a little more of an echo of the more commercial sounding Lùlù, ‘Sonic, Lyon’ kicks off with a world of choppy guitars, but before settling on a hook where a choir of voices bolster an optimistic sound, a bridge where muted guitar joins a great vocal adds a slightly quirkier edge. The crashy rhythms and overdriven guitars might remind some listeners of Scandinavian cult heroes The Genuine Fakes, but these guys definitely lean a little more into poppier influences, and on this track, their sugary edge really benefits some great songwriting. In another change of mood, ‘Songi d’oro’ applies a ‘Tears On My Pillow’ inspired retro pop melody to an Italian lyric, which is shared via a high toned vocal and a reasonable amount of enthusiasm. When approaching the album as a whole, this is rather more of a slow burner in terms of appeal, but it’s good to hear that this band aren’t afraid of trying different things.
‘Terres basses’ is in danger of presenting Lùlù on autopilot since the spiky riffs and guitar tones are very similar to parts of ‘Lùlù’ and ‘Tous les etes’ in more than a few places. This shouldn’t be an issue if you’re a big power pop fan, though, since lurking behind the punchier, more obvious elements, you’ll find some superb harmony vocals and handclaps, both of which give this tune a massive lift. Even with a few (deliberately) out of tune lead vocals, it’s great fun, providing a decent lead into the semi-punky ‘En Reve’ which provides a great showcase for a superb rhythm section. Sabrina’s bass punches through the wall of guitars with ease, and Fanny’s aggressive drums go beat for beat against a raw vocal in terms of providing a sense of force. For those hoping to find something a little more melodic at play, a lead guitar break shows off a great tone that almost hints at blues rock, and as with other parts of this album, the final moments of this knockabout number showcase superb harmony vocals which really capture the Lùlù sense of living in the moment.
Closing the album, ‘Sur la corde’ is a little more aggressive once again, leaning on a melodic punk sound in the vein of an amped up Real Kids, but when it comes to all round appeal, these guys still very much hit the spot. The chiming guitars have a genuine energy; the tight rhythms adopt a crashy approach that really compliments a slightly shouty vocal. When the chorus hits, though, there’s just enough of a strong melody and power pop influence to link back to Lùlù’s already classic theme song, ensuring everything remains catchy.
Rattling through ten songs in a really tight thirty three minutes, this is an album that leaves no time for filler, and very little time for the listener’s attention to wander. It’s sharp, yet very melodic; often familiar, but never stale. Get this for ‘Lùlù’ – you won’t be sorry. Stay for ‘Tous les etes’ and ‘En reve’, and you’ll already consider your digital purchase to be a sound investment. Even the tracks that don’t necessarily click the first time around often have a massively upbeat style that’ll win the listener a couple of spins down the line. At its best, this album provides a superbly infectious dose of sharp edged pop-rock, and even the lack of English vocal doesn’t detract from the songs’ all round appeal. In short, this is a great record.
May 2025