Momus - Yikes [CD]

Two CD set. Sixteen tracks were recorded in Paris in early spring, making this the first Parisian Momus album since 1995's The Philosophy of Momus. French pop naturally forms a backdrop to the songwriting, with echoes of the music hall of Charles Trenet, the chanson of Leo Ferre and Jacques Brel, and Megumi Satsu's Japanese takes on Topor lyrics in the 1980s. But there are also influences from Italian cinema - a tribute to Nino Rota, a song based on Japanese TV commercials featuring Marcello Mastroianni - and from Manchester groups like The Fall and New Order. Other tracks wink in the direction of John Barry, Disney, Eddie Cantor, the Ink Spots and Morris dancing. While many of these influences are retro, the album also reflects the concerns of 2024, with Putin menacing the West with threats of nuclear war and AI taking over people's jobs (there's even a song partly written by AI here).