The dancing math-athletes of French Miami completed another studio shut-in with engineering hero and personal hero Philip Manley of Trans AM. The result is the Motor Skills EP, a the follow-up FM's self-titled debut.
French Miami wowed the pants off the media with that debut and the lore of an infectious live energy. If it don't need fixin', don't go breakin' it, right? The polite nods to post-punk, to Wire, to all those damn indie bands we loved and left for dead four years ago, those characteristics remain on “Older,” but with a rejuvenating infusion of afrobeat vibes – thank heavens whites re-discovered African riddims, it might have died on the vine.
French Miami have always excelled at synthesizing the mathematical with the poppy, the prog-kraut electronics with the neon dance floor and “Older” is further testament to FM's continued interest in this bitches' brew. My only curiosity comes in the repetitious lyric “I was older, you were on my face.” Is this a song about adult acne? If so, I see a tremendous opportunity to license this jam; let the bidding wars begin between Nivea, Clearasil and that company that saved Diddy's face.
Motor Skills EP is out November 18 on Death By Audio.
