Second album time for offbeat duo Secret Season – a performing alias for Isabelle Risacher and Mark Moogalian. Second albums are notoriously difficult but it would seem that it was merely business as usual this time around.
That said, hanging about France has added a bit of je ne sais quoi to the slowed down garage rock with minimalist ambient undertones practised by Secret Season. “Living A True Story”, for example, is about as conventional as you can get but “Ana Naki” is an altogether more turbulent song borne more of the arthouse than the basement. However, the important thing is the charm that underpins all these songs. Whether driven by the gruff tones and guitar of Mr Moogalian or the shadowy sultriness of Ms Risacher, you get the feeling that this duo are more than prepared to work for your attention with the unpretentious pop of “I Know There’ll Come A Day” standing tall as evidence.
As with their first album though, their efforts really gel when they hit the blues and, with a walking talking journey through the back streets of life, they roll out of this album with “Harder Every Day”. That’s the one that did it for me.
The album is available from CD Baby.