The Soap Opera

Originating in Rennes, France, The Soap Opera craft buoyant indie pop of the sort that would have drawn early-1990s imprints famous for their manually creased photocopied sleeves. Three alumni of the psychedelic-leaning Sudden Death of Stars joined forces with two veterans of the vintage R&B and soul outfit Les Spadassins, and the resulting quintet entered the studio in 2014. Bloody Bulga and Professor Zorino share guitar and vocal duties, Copache anchors the low end, and Holden Brahms supplies the rhythms. Working with producer Fred Ernest, they issued a self-titled EP on Lagos and Howlin' Banana Records in early 2015 that threaded the Sea Urchins' gentle melodies through Orange Juice's bright, ringing drive while adding a version of the Pooh Sticks' "On Tape" to clarify their reference points. After further songwriting and home-studio sessions that included bass contributions from Onyto Kawanishi on several tracks, the band delivered their second album, Ready to Hatch, in late 2017 via Ample Play and Howlin' Banana Records; the record displayed greater polish yet preserved the same unpolished verve.