La Vendange

This weird and wonderful project is the brainchild of three Dutch musicians – Marijn de Valk, Rik Bosch and Daan van Haren. Five years ago, they turned their back on rock music and immersed themselves in the French chanson of the golden era of bohemian Paris. The result is La Très Illustre Compagnie du Chat Noir – a reference to the famous Le Chat Noir club of late 19th century - and has all the melancholy and wheezing swagger of the Parisian sound. With a company of ten musicians and five guests, playing everything from accordion, double bass, trumpet and clarinet to the triangle, cello and marimba, the music and vocals are as thick as Gauloises smoke.

Whether we need a contemporary impersonation of golden-era French chanson is debatable. However, all the tracks are self-penned, and on certain numbers, there are hints of more than straightforward nostalgia with deep, rumbling, repetitive vocal choruses and snatches of klezmer.

It’s interesting stuff and holds out the promise of more daring paths ahead.