France's Cuir isn't that much a mystery to me. I don't know him personally, and he's always wearing a mask, but I get what they're doing. A nervy and synth saturated cross-stitching of Masked Intruder style retro skate punk with glammy melo-hardcore a la Turbonegro. It's something that would have appealed to me as a big bloody stake appeals to a ravenous dog once upon a time. Still does, actually. His recent EP makes a couple of improvements over his 2021 LP (titled Album in case you were curious), mostly in the speed sector. Kicking up the tempo might sound like a minor change, but in practice it allows him to achieve a whole new level of delightful derangement. Yes, this little EP does not mess around. "Flood De Loose" is a swinging anthemic crash, that excitedly leaps between blitzes of stomping beats and gusty synth tempered bridges, all the while Cuir excitedly shouts over himself in a rush to get to the next phrase, as if he were skipping in line at a rollercoaster to sate a desperate adrenaline addiction. "Roi Des Gogues" is driven by a menacing lurch, that leads Cuir to be whipped around the room like a cowboy who has lucklessly managed to lasso a ricocheting cannonball. And in case you couldn't parse what's inspired this ruckus, the EP closes with a headless ripping cover of Zeke's "Let's Get Drugs" translated to French. So you have drugs and Zeke to thank for Cuir's career. Probably in that order. Now go retape the handle of your favorite baseball bat and go have yourself a night on the town.
