The Married Monk - The Belgian Kick
(Ici d'Ailleurs)
The Married Monk are French. They are not French the way in which most Americans are accustomed—the sneering, cigarette smoking, beret wearing Francophiliacs exemplified by groups like Les Sans Cullottes, Cocorosie, and Les Messieurs du Rock; that is, Americans fetishizing their vague awareness of French culture. No, the Married Monk are actually French and for the last ten years have been releasing accomplished albums with a unique musical and lyrical sense that's of a certain tradition found only in their country of origin. Each album they have released has its own distinct identity yet, because of their demeanor, always sounds like the same band. 1993's There's the Rub, an all-acoustic pop album, is a far cry from the drum programming and synthesizers of 2001's R/O/C/K/Y but Christian Quermalet's unmistakable voice and dry, biting wit easily carries the band through any stylistic changes they might bring upon themselves. The Married Monk sing about sex, violence, drugs, love, and decadence but through it all maintain a calm disposition and a self-awareness bordering on smarminess. It's an attitude that is most definitely aligned with the undisputed master of cool, Serge Gainsbourg, but while Gainsbourg and Bardot seemed to be celebrating pop culture icons, The Married Monk are satirical (but not necessarily comedic). The Belgian Kick uses disco beats, clichéd synthesizer sounds, and lyrics like "Yeah, my life was dull but I tried hard to sex it up" to be critical of the very culture it is participating in. It's an invigorating paradox.
With its cheesy synth brass chords and orchestra hits, it's clear from the opening moments of "Tell Me Gary" that The Married Monk is a band that is serious about satire. The song immediately sets the tone for the rest of the album with lyrics like "What do you think coke is like when the night comes down?/And how do you think it would feel to steal the royal crown?/Do you think it's very very very very rude to fart?/Do you think blind men can play darts?/Is it true that hunky dory means OK?" Most of the album is concerned with things like clubbing and drug culture but never succumbs to the urge one might have to specifically criticize or judge the people guilty of a life of excess and decadence. Rather, Quermalet presents his characters as they are, with only a subtle hint of how he might actually feel about the issue. Much like Bobby Conn, though Conn is much more of an exhibitionist (to say the very least), The Married Monk's music is a representation of a dead society—a society free of morality and accountability. Don't be fooled by the Bobby Conn comparison, however; though not without their discernable influences, The Married Monk continually creates music that's not quite like anything else I've heard.
Having gone through multiple lineup changes in their long history, The Belgian Kick returns the band to its original trio lineup found on the first album, There's the Rub, though the records have little in common beyond Quermalet's voice. While There's the Rub was an album full of eccentric and somewhat uppity songs played on nothing more than acoustic guitar, bass, and drums, The Belgian Kick is an elaborately produced dark pop album (perhaps if Arab Strap were surly Frenchmen) complete with a wide variety of instruments, string arrangements, and drum programming that's seamlessly integrated with Jean-Michel Pires' masterful drum/percussion work. The influence of disco and Serge Gainsbourg is clearly defined, but its presence is far overshadowed by the band's ability and ingenuity (the fact that this album includes covers of songs by Captain Beefheart and Nancy Sinatra is also telling). The Belgian Kick is a scathing critique of the decadence of club and drug culture that began in the 1970s. It's a fantastic album that deserves acclaim far beyond the borders of their home country. It's strange that they're so unknown in the U.S. considering their relationship with Calexico, Wavelab studios, and fellow Frenchmen/Tuscon residents The Amor Belhom Duo. The attention they deserve would not be unwelcome either, as Quermalet has said before that he sings in English in hopes of reaching a wider audience... So hop to it and seek this out, you American swine.
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