Timing is everything. With Christine and the Queens fast becoming pop royalty and Phoenix's imminent return the London-based French duo Zooey are bang on schedule to join the Gallic revival. There's promise aplenty on Matthieu Beck and Marie Merlet's debut album, even if the strengths are unevenly distributed. Realise, Realise and Time To Get Alone set a high standard.
Both are perfect synth-pop songs, laid back to the point of horizontal with timeless boy/girl vocals and devil-is-in-the-detail production. Long Gone and Marcher La Nuit channel the stripped back dream-pop of Beach House but the one-dimensional When The Morning Comes, Oh Stop! And La Réalité leave the lingering impression of a promising band with some fine-tuning required.