Jamaica

Legend has it that Brian Eno found the inspiration behind ambient music when a friend left an album playing at a low volume, leaving only the bare essence of the music audible. The same trick can be done with No Problem, the debut from Parisian duo Jamaica. Play the album at one or two on your volume dial and it comes off just like an album by countrymen Phoenix or Justice. All of the right ingredients are there: the BPMs hit high, the dynamics fit in just right and the rhythms "sound" like they belong in a car commercial. But there's nothing once the volume is turned up. Songs like "Short and Entertaining" and "By the Numbers" combine the heavily treated guitar sound of Justice with the bass drum swing and forward moving melodies of Phoenix, demonstrating that Jamaica's influences reach as far back as 2006. It may be safe to suggest that Jamaica offer little originality ― no new ideas? No Problem!