I liked both of Maximo Park’s previous albums so I was quite surprised to find their new one, Quicken The Heart, to be rather boring and unexciting. It isn’t terribly bad but it just falls flat when compared to the band’s vibrant and endearing earlier work. Mainly (I think) it’s just that the songs aren’t as catchy and immediately rewarding as those on A Certain Trigger and Our Earthly Pleasures. I just don’t love anything on the new album. It’s all really quite forgettable. So, if you feel that way about Quicken The Heart as well, don’t feel too bad.

Instead of pouting, pick up a copy of Cajun Dance Party’s debut full-length The Colourful Life. It’s a record that finds the London based band of teenagers sounding like a hybrid of The Cure, Maximo Park, and (maybe a little) like Ben Lee’s more recent stuff. It is enjoyable and Ultra melodic and (at times) really catchy with thick British vocals. It isn’t Cajun music in the least and really doesn’t invoke thoughts of any sort of dance party, but The Colourful Life is quite enjoyable and fills the void left by the disappointment that is Quicken The Heart.

MP3 | Maximo Park – The Kids Are Sick Again Quicken The Heart

MP3 | Cajun Dance Party – Colourful Life The Colourful Life
MP3 | Cajun Dance Party – No Joanna The Colourful Life