Marie-Agnes Halle who writes the Piggledy Pop blog listed to the right hand side of this page contacted me a while back to say how much she likes my own humble efforts. I'm more than happy to reciprocate the appreciation. Marie-Agnes's writes Piggledy Pop in French and sometimes the Google translation leaves something to be desired, but she generally focused on things that are very much to my own taste and this post is a case in point of something great that I'm grateful she's directed me towards.
Stuart Moxham was once in Young Marble Giants a group reponsible for one of the greatest one off leftfield musical statements of all in Colossal Youth. YMG produced a number of great singles and sessions too but really as a statement Colossal Youth simply can't be beaten. A definitive statement of what you can do with primitive synths, a cool voice and no end of imagination.
This record does not sound like YMG. It's forty years on from there after all and it would be rather odd to find Moxham still retracing the same minimal keyboard patterns all this time down the line. The Devil Laughs, the record we're concerned with here finds him working with Louis Philippe, French singer- songwriter and gloriously football journalist.
The result is a charming, reflective record, like an afternoon spent wandering round an old and picturesque English village. No attempt is made to be cutting edge. These are quaint meandering melodic songs. Thoughtful moments in time.
Apparently this album has been around for five years or more and is only just being released. I've no idea why because The Devil Laughs has much to recommend it. Thanks again to Marie-Agnes for bringing this to my attention.
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