Silence On Tourne, On Tourne En Rond

As the son of Jacques Dutronc and Francoise Hardy, jazz manouche singer/guitarist Thomas Dutronc was always going to face a tough battle to avoid being overshadowed by his family connections. But following the multi-platinum success of his award-winning 2007 debut, Comme un Manouche Sans Guitare and a grueling 600-date tour, there's a sense that he's now earned enough respect to banish any accusations of nepotism. His second album, Silence on Tourne, on Tourne en Rond, should further the argument that he would have made it even without the benefit of his famous parents. His love of Gypsy jazz is still very much evident, particularly on the four instrumentals such as the frenetically strummed "Ninine," the Django Reinhardt-esque "Gypsy Rainbow," and the mournful, violin-led "Valse en Exil." But this is a much more eclectic affair than his first offering, with convincing attempts at quirky ska-pop ("Alerte a la Blonde"), gentle bossa nova ("A la Vanille"), and brooding alt-country ("Demain"), joining several tracks that showcase his distinctive sense of humor, from the Hammond-organ driven rockabilly of "On Ne Sait Plus S'Ennuyer," which ends with a bizarre pig-grunting outro, to the swirling music hall ode to video games, "Oiseau Fache," to the pun-laden Gallic pop of opener "Turlututu." The moody blues of "Louanges Ameres" and the misguided military singalong of "Relancons la Consommation" suggest Dutronc should have exercised a little more quality control toward the end, but overall, Silence on Tourne, on Tourne en Rond is an engaging record from one of France's most talented famous offspring. ~ Jon O'Brien