Vive La Fete

The fact that in Vive La Fete’s bio it says Karl Lagerfeld is their number one fan and they have played the chicest fashion shows in Europe should have been warning enough. The opening notes of "Aventures Fictives” from their fifth album, Jour De Chance, is a sly tease into thinking that this could be Belgium’s answer to the Rapture, but it disappointingly turns into a cold, hard stiletto, as opposed to some beaten Cons. Supposedly this is the current fashionista music in Europe and like the skinny waifs that no doubt get down to it at Chanel parties, the songs are largely contrived and uninspiring. Caught somewhere between post-punk and "cold wave,” with a bit of a gaudy ’80s feel that’s creeping back into music, the guitars are fast and the drums danceable but they don’t differ much between tracks. Singer Els Pynoo’s (surprisingly an ex-model) vocals are melodic but too much emphasis is placed on choruses that just end up sounding ridiculous, as on "Une Par Une,” which is the musical soundtrack to a bad French exercise video. Maybe that’s just my jealously showing through that I’m not on Lagerfeld’s guest-list.