Precious Recordings of London was eager to sign Belgian-French trio Coup Dur, and voilà, there was the title for their debut EP. We can only agree with the British label, because the first eight songs from this new band are easy to love: witty, stylish, and fizzing with timeless charm.
They play a bright-eyed rush of classic yéyé pop through a scrappy indie-garage lens, punchy and danceable. Bittersweet lyrics—in French, naturally—on modern anxieties such as doomscrolling, terrible dates, and entrepreneurial self-help culture are skewered with a knowing smile rather than outright cynicism, but even more so, it’s the melodic and vocal delivery that make this release so appealing.
The English Want… Coup Dur—recorded and mixed by Rafael Valles Hilario—is out now digitally and on 10″ vinyl through 62 Records and Precious Recordings of London. Featuring Avril De Broucker (guitar), Clémence D’Hulst (bass), and César Laloux (drums).