The Trial Of The Century

Performer: The French Kicks
Engineer: Doug Boehm; Dan Hoal
Producer: Doug Boehm; French Kicks
Distributor: Fontana Distribution

Notes: Audio Mixer: Doug Boehm. Recording information: Sonora Recorders, Los Angeles, CA (01/2004). Photographers: Malia James; Saint Laurent, Danielle. TRIAL OF THE CENTURY was the breakthrough release by New York indie rockers the French Kicks, after some low-key EPs and a full-length debut. It was a success in part because, in 2004, the time was right for the French Kicks' blend of new-wave synths and urgent indie-rock drive, following the success of bands like the Killers and Franz Ferdinand. But the album shine on its own merits, too, and was an enormous step forward from their previous work. Starting with the glorious single "One More Time," a pulsating dance-rock gem with a yearning chorus, TRIAL OF THE CENTURY is a self-confident, playful album full of solid pop hooks delivered with casually stylish grace and nervy intensity. The French Kicks may be the Cars of the new-wave revival, and TRIAL OF THE CENTURY is their HEARTBEAT CITY.

Rolling Stone (p.175) - 3 stars out of 5 - "[J]oyful keyboards frolic behind drummer-frontman Nick Stumpf's sliding falsetto, as the band cultivates a kicky, melancholic throb....This is a sweet summer score." Entertainment Weekly (p.165) - "[T]his Brooklyn band has moved on to a style of a later vintage: new-wave pop that doles out melancholy, grandeur, and groove in equal doses." - Grade: B Magnet (p.92) - "[Their] newly minted prissiness gives the twinkly keyboard and tangled guitar of 'Oh Fine' and the mock-pimp circumstance of 'Was It A Crime' a starry-eyed sensuality..." Mojo (Publisher) (p.99) - 4 stars out of 5 - "[A] bittersweet urban pop thrill, a brightly lit beacon for insomniac romantics everywhere....These 11 songs exude a finely crafted sophistication as pulsing grooves and crystalline melodies follow singer Nick Stumpf in and out of love."

They were never as trendy as the Strokes or the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, but nonetheless, New York City's French Kicks were a mainstay of the early 2000s Big Apple rock renaissance. Originally known for being the band with a singing drummer, the French Kicks underwent several line-up changes that led to drummer Nick Stumpf taking over traditional frontman duties. A certain coulda/shoulda tag always dogged the band, but one listen to their sharp, hip mod-pop is proof that the boys did just fine for themselves.

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