One's going to have to add France's Tapeworms to that list of new bands who can perfectly mimic peak Stereolab. Like Peel Dream Magazine, Dummy, and Cloud Factory, another Howlin Banana band, Tapeworms do this sort of thing so extremely well that one cannot fault them for it. If so much of this sounds like 'Lab circa 1994, that's fine.
Funtastic is the name of this debut album from Tapeworms, this Lille, France group featuring Margot Magnières and brothers Théo and Elliot Poyer. And if that title's not enough of a hint of the vibe here, "Safety Crash" is proof positive that this band's capable of capturing exactly the same kind of magic we heard on "Ping Pong" and a few other singles in the past from Stereolab. And while Tapeworms are adept at this, "Crush Your Love" offers up some crunchy variety. The chords here are harder, and vocals blurry, and the number moves with the force of an early JAMC single or something. "Round and Round" and "Smiling Through It All" are lighter, more spacious numbers, but when paired next to the absolutely glorious "Alternate Ending", the effect is a blissful one.
This debut from Tapeworms hits me right where I live. I wouldn't call this shoegaze since I'd not really call Swirlies and Stereolab that either. And while what's here sounds like the past, it's still vital and thoroughly enjoyable. In fact, I'd rank "Safety Crash" as one of the best singles I've heard in 2020. While Peel Dream Magazine are getting well-deserved praise, I hope that Tapeworms get the same sort of praise eventually as they're doing a similar thing just as well.
Funtastic is out now via Howlin Banana Records.
More details on Tapeworms via the band's official Facebook page.
[Photo: Julian Corneul]