Having mastered the three-song concept EP with their 2009 release Captain's Log, Honest Engines return for round two with a similarly succinct little record. This time, The French Song EP takes us to a darker place, diverging from the epic ambitions of the debut EP and tinging its tightly written pop with a melancholic defeatism. The EP sets off with its title track, a wistful, uptempo song that cuts its guitars with occasional synth and light sampling. "El Jardin," the record's centerpiece, is driven by a palpable ennui and a sullen regard for time's passing. "I used to be strong; now I'm just tired," remark the lyrics. Like it was strange to hear Neil Young muse that he was "getting old" in his early twenties, this remorse at aging coming from such a young band feels slightly ironic. But it's our twenties that first make us start to feel old, and Honest Engines splendidly captures that passive regret for days gone by.
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