Here's a bit of an oddity that showed up a while ago which I just got around to listening to at the end of 2022. I thought I might pack in one last review for '22, but it's a good thing I didn't; I was ready to trash the hell out of this. 2023 finds me in a less unforgiving mood and ready to try and decipher the bizarrity of Pili Coit. No easy task. Pili Coit are a duo from Lyon, France consisting of Jessica Martin Maresco (of Le Grand Sbam) - voice, floor tom, oil can, and synth drum; and also Guilhem Meier (of Poil)- voice & guitar. The one-sheet accompanying this release said "For fans of Nick Drake, Royal Trux, Nina Hagen, X, Koenjihyakkei, Portishead, Le Grand Sbam and Unrest." The thing is, except for Le Grand Sbam (which Jessica is in) Pili Coit doesn't sound like any of the aforementioned. Maybe they'd like to sound like those artists, or even admire them, but expecting fans of those acts to groove on 'Love Everywhere' is a real stretch, and I think that's what put me off in the first place. Not to say that this doesn't have merit or won't appeal to some people out there, it just needs to be qualified more.

'Love Everywhere' is an album of seven diverse tracks in 40 minutes that still manages a degree of homogeneity primarily due to the performers, their instrumentation and somewhat avant garde style. Opening with "Rain Napalm," a song with guitar straight outta Captain Beefheart's Magic Band and lyrics that even Don Van Vliet would be scratching his head over, somehow Moresco's clattering percussion holds it all together. It's a third world roller-coaster ride and although both Jessica and Guillem sing on this one, Jessica's voice is a bit more upfront. This is a strong track to open with, and one that will determine quickly whether you want more or if this just isn't your bag. "Conveyor Belt," which follows, seems to be about the ennui of the endless repetition of life on a cosmic scale. Yeah, I get the concept but this song is too long by at least two minutes. Guilhem has the lead vocals on this one, but both of these folks have really good voices in that modern alternative sort of way. Speaking of modern alternative, "Make My Papillae Blushing" is likely the closest thing to any modern alternative band that has some quirks. Maybe the most normal thing on the album.

"Disowner" reminded me of that mid-to-late '80s band Hugo Largo, a quite stylized act. "I Can't Scream" is the briefest track on the album at 2:28 with low-key whispery vocals and a recitation, all quite intentionally dream-like. Following this, "Taira No Tomo Momoriga" - the most vocally (challenging) avant garde track on the album, and in Japanese, of course, elevates this album above being just some quirky alternative band. Guitar chords stutter and stab; percussion bangs, accents, off beat, on beat, through beatz and pleatz..falls apart and back together again. It's gonna take you more than a listen or two to grok this. There's a Wagnerian Brunhilde moment when the chorus vocals are held on sustain. "Endless Make Love Everywhere" is bouncy track with Guillem taking the lead vocally and hitting all the right notes instrumentally. This song could have come straight out of the 1960's and been an underground hit...maybe...in an alternate timeline. At 7:05 it's a bit overlong and might have packed a bigger wallop in a shorter, more edited version. Then again, both The Doors and Iron Butterfly had their biggest long song edited down to radio-friendly versions and it didn't make them any better cutting out the instrumental parts. Lets just leave well enough alone. What surprised me the most though is- no songs in French. I don't know if I've ever reviewed a project from France that didn't have any French songs if they had songs with vocals and lyrics. Be that as it may, I think some are going to love Pili Coit and others who just don't get them will probably hate them. As for me, my initially negative perspective has changed to a positive one. And yeah, they can do this stuff live; I've seen it on YouTube. You should check it out. CD & download out now, tape and vinyl sometime later.