www.adecouvrirabsolument.com When pop music is made, it is strongly influenced by the 60s. From Love to the Beatles, some of the biggest moments in musical history saw the light of day while most of us weren’t born yet, well, almost. Showdown at the Equator love pop, certainly love psychedlia, but in keeping with the Sea and Cake, the group likes to explore a bit farther off. The nearly perfect first track, Character Study, is a a perfect mix of the American Analog Set and the Sea and Cake. What follows is made up of discrete and welcoming pop songs (Powers, Turnpike), more rocking pieces (Dear Friend), and some awesomely melodic tracks that will get you on the dance floor with your fingers snapping (Urban Camping). The disc being self-produced, you can hear a few gaps in the production, sometimes the sound is quieter, the instruments are not always shown at their best, but that just reinforces the melodic qualities of the group, who achieve, even with modest means, a really good pop album. Personally, I’d give this group a few euros….in any case recognition of their true value cannot be stolen. - Translation courtesy Gabe