Album review

Hey Hey My My

A Sudden Change of Mood

Paris 

05/05/2010 - 

For their second album the Paris-based group Hey Hey My My have changed musical direction, moving away from folk towards an energetic pop sound. A Sudden Change of Mood is mixed by Tony Hoffer, best known for his work with Supergrass, Air and Beck.

Hey Hey My My – the name comes from a Neil Young song – first made a name for themselves with their debut three years ago. That album combined English pop with a folk sound, although on stage they came across as more of a rock act. The rock energy comes across far more on their latest release, which has more of a rebellious sound than their initial effort.

The title alone sums up the current spirit of the group, chopping and changing their sound rather than being content to stay as they are. The first single off the album, Not Fun Anymore, takes the listener on a Pixies-style rollercoaster ride; and the fuzzy guitar sound of Groove Combat is a wink to the group’s punk rock roots, back when they were called British Hawaii.

Songs veer off unexpectedly into other genres, subtly moving from rock to dancefloor electro (Go To Hell), or from melancholic folk to stadium rock (The Next Bar). Such abrupt changes of style work might have been jarring, but they work well thanks to the fantastic mixing of Tony Hoffer (Beck, Supergrass) and the group’s unerring ear for a great pop melody.  Hey Hey My My demonstrate that they can stretch well beyond the simple confines of musical good taste, delivering an album that sounds both fresh and accessible.

Hey Hey My My A Sudden Change of Mood (Sober & Gentle) 2010

In concert at the Maroquinerie, Paris, 5 May, and the Bataclan, Paris, 23 November.

Jérôme   Pichon

Translation : Hugo  Wilcken