‘Tourne en rond, On s’isole, Vieilles pulsions qui résonnent, Répulsion, Je m’empoissonne’ / ‘Going in circles, Isolating myself, Old impulses echoing, Repulsion, I’m poisoning myself’ (Gare Du Nord)

Gare Du Nord is a project conceived during the Direct Threat 2024 European tour with Instructor.  Members of both bands were keen to engage with the legacies of the 1980s French Oi bands who had been so influential to their respective musical evolutions.  Now, I must admit that I am not best placed to comment on whether this collaborative reimagining is a strictly accurate one.  What I can tell you is that Appels De Phares (Flashing Headlights) has emerged as something of a quietly unassuming treat.

The songwriting builds a tight momentum across the four tracks, while the playing itself has an engaging looseness to it.  The production imbues proceedings with a similarly enticing lo-fi, analogue warmth.  The bass tone punches through with an especially vibrant clarity.  Meanwhile, as the EP sweeps from the darkly catchy Vrille (Drill) to the melodic regret of Dans Le Tunnel (In The Tunnel), the gruff French vocals trace the blurred outlines and anxious memories of a Paris night that has rather gone off the rails.