20sth

Perhaps the first thing to point out – although it’s not immediately noticeable on first listen – is that this Brussels band are guitar-less. For although they’re influenced by ska, chanson, Latin and Gypsy music, rock is the overriding vibe, so a lack of guitars might suggest careless oversight. But no, Jaune Toujours still achieve a muscular toughness in their sound through the use of accordion, brass, double bass and of course, drums, so that you don’t miss the instrument.

This double album, marking their 20th year together, devotes one disc to singles and the other to live tracks, demos, remixes and other obscurities that haven’t previously featured on their seven albums. In fact, a demo from 1993, ‘[E-O]’, which lasts a mere one minute and 15 seconds and consisting of little more than the repeated refrain ‘Eh-oh, eh-oh, eh-oh’ – is a thrilling highlight and wouldn’t have sounded out of place on Buzzcocks’ classic 1977 debut EP Spiral Scratch.

Super-fans might be interested to know that there’s a beautifully presented wooden box set, limited to just 300 copies worldwide, which includes all their albums along with this new double. They sound as fresh today as they did when they first started out.