Détective
Basket of Masks
self-released

These lovely and simple rock tunes, occasionally in French, seem lush by virtue of vocalist Guylaine Vivarat’s vocals alone–though her compatriot, James Greer of Guided by Voices, does sing a few, and Greg Ashley put his producer’s stamp all over the little drum flourishes here and there. It’s a solid, enjoyable trio of foolhardy fun-seekers–more competent than, say, the Godz, though perhaps less self-aware. If the Vaselines had decided they did not want to flaunt their sense of humor, they might have arrived here.

-D. M. Collins