Cajun Dance Party
The Colourful Life
(XL Recordings)
Struggling through your A-levels is enough work for most people, but the members of Cajun Dance Party have also managed to juggle their final year at school and an impressive debut.
The hype surrounding the north London five-piece is breathless. Their early live shows are written about with the same sense of importance as that accorded to the Sex Pistols' groundbreaking gig at the 100 Club, and the songwriting and singing/guitarist team of Daniel Blumberg and Robbie Stern has already led to them being called the next Morrissey and Marr.
Blumberg has a versatility that has seen him compared to Bob Dylan of the mid-1960s while his delivery in killer tracks such as The Next Untouchables sounds a lot more like the Cure's Robert Smith. Cajun Dance Party have a lot to live up to and for much of The Colourful Life they do. The lyrics aren't half bad and the indie pop melodies take you everywhere from light whimsy to driving guitars and pounding drums. The album is tightly produced by Bernard Butler, who is on a creative and commercial roll, having also produced Welsh singer Duffy's acclaimed debut this year.