Napoleon IIIrd - In Debt to [Brain Lover records - 2007]Imagine if you took a good cup full of Badly Drawn boy, a pinch of The beach boys,an handful of folk/country, an Handful of indie, a good squirt of quirky and sometimes retro electronica & throw into a tumble dryer together and after about 30 minutes fast spin cycle you’d get Napoleon IIIrd. Napoleon IIIrd is a British one-man quirky, experimental genre hopping pop project, In Debt is his debut album that comes amazingly fully formed and focused with it’s own distinct sound quite unlike anyone else. Each track feeling like it’s own little musical adventure as it dances from one genre and mood to another, cleverly making it all work as a caughty and creative package. He also embossers each track with relateble and often very funny lyrical content. A few of my favourite moments would be the country and western meets quirky indie electoncia of Guys in bands, which aptly mixes in brass hits and some really very nice retro moog sounds that have an almost Mort Garson feel to them. Or the slow unfolding guitar and organ hover of The Casual Terroist vs.., that later drops into new wave synth pop, meets indie swoon, the track also has an Elvis Costello meets the Jam, via new order vibe to it in places too. As you can see this really does go all over the place and were ever you drop down in the album your guaranteed a tuneful and creative hit. One of the most impressive and likeble debut albums I’ve coming across in a long time that bristling with clever, original, inventive and memorable songs. Roger Batty
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