Grégory Garghentini and Léa Barbier might be a little annoyed that we’re only paying attention to them now, given that they haven’t shied away from hard work for at least the past ten years. We’ll also let them take full responsibility for making us believe there’s something “rusty” about their ensemble, when in fact we challenge anyone to detect the slightest trace of it throughout this third album, which oozes bone-deep, devastatingly effective blues at every turn. Guitar bites at the calves more surely than the gravelly grain or Monsieur’s “foot drum,” with harmonica on occasion; washboard, floor tom, and vocals (for the first time) from Madame — the chemistry is complete, and sometimes downright stunning. Not a single dull moment or weak spot, barely even a pause to catch one’s breath before… moving on to the next line. One hell of a punch!
X.B
