Vertigo

Jaune Toujours are a brass-heavy Belgian big band who’ve been active for over 25 years. This is their ninth album and their first since 2018. They dub themselves ‘drum & brass’, ‘accordion dub’ and ‘Belgian ska’ and several songs certainly have a reggae lilt, notably the title-track. They sing and shout their lyrics mainly in French and English and the music is punchy and catchy. Most of the 13 songs are upbeat and it sometimes feels a little relentlessly cheerful – some moments of reflection would be welcomed. Lead vocalist and accordionist Piet Maris is a commanding presence, but the group is very much an ensemble with the ebullient feel of street performers.