French indie pop quintet En Attendant Ana earned a small but fervent fanship with their 2016 Cave EP, a noisy six-song set that melded strong melodic songwriting with elements of garage rock and a droning Velvet Underground influence. It was enough to earn the Parisian combo a distribution deal with American label Trouble in Mind, which released their full-length debut, Lost and Found, in 2018. Less ramshackle and overall more sophisticated than their EP, Lost and Found is a small wonder of naive pop charm and unexpected ...
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French indie pop quintet En Attendant Ana earned a small but fervent fanship with their 2016 Cave EP, a noisy six-song set that melded strong melodic songwriting with elements of garage rock and a droning Velvet Underground influence. It was enough to earn the Parisian combo a distribution deal with American label Trouble in Mind, which released their full-length debut, Lost and Found, in 2018. Less ramshackle and overall more sophisticated than their EP, Lost and Found is a small wonder of naive pop charm and unexpected rock muscle. Frontwoman Margaux Bouchaudon has an effortless way of delivering pure melodies that seem both fresh and familiar, and the band, chugging along with earnest abandon, energetically prop up the tunes in all the right places. Augmented here and there by piano, organ, and trumpet, En Attendant Ana are largely a guitar band with a penchant for group backing vocals that give the songs a lively, unified feeling. From the propulsive all-instrumental "Intro" to the dynamic "(Not) So Hard" and standout closer, "I Don't Even Know Your Name," the songs often take on the breathless feel of minor epics. The band's craft is immediately apparent in their excellent songwriting, which is paradoxically supported by technical skills that haven't quite caught up yet. It's the slight greenness of their delivery that helps create that perfect recipe of youthful passion and sincerity without sinking into the snarky swagger of garage punk or the fey affectations of more straight-ahead indie pop. The result is a remarkably solid debut with intent and an infectious energy. ~ Timothy Monger, Rovi
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