Cambridge, MA’s The Barbazons (formerly The Fagettes) have released Avec Plaisir, a fuzzy 10-track trip of an album that feels undeniably joyful in intention—this is garage rock at its sun-shiniest. Each howl and thump from the Barbazons seems more prideful than the last, and at nearly every turn these are paired with a healthy amount of fuzz from the guitars of Ryan Major and Matt Garlick. The pensive “Sleeptalkin” and the surf-rock “Tsunami” are standouts on the album, with the latter hitting an immense section towards the end that stands as one of the shreddiest surf sections I’ve ever heard in a long while. “Chilly” is a sort of 60s-pop jam very much in the vein of former Boston-ites Lucius, and “Stems & Seeds” is about, well, you know. Considered all together, Avec Plaisir is collection of tracks that eschew heavy virtuosity for an emphasis on enjoyment; rarely is there a moment on the album that couldn’t be considered fun, and it results in an album that sounds like it was as fun to make as it is to listen to.
Avec Plaisir is out now on KLYAM Records. You can stream it below, via their Bandcamp.
