French Kicks (left) are among the more listenable acts mining this territory. On The Trial of the Century, cut for the independent Star Time imprint, vocalist/drummer Nick Stumpf displays the sort of lighter-than-air tenor that caused the hearts of mid-'80s listeners from both genders to flutter, and he uses it well on the ultra-melodic "One More Time" and "Oh Fine," a number built upon a rhythm that's midway between a clap-track and a clogging lesson. Some tunes feel daintier than is strictly necessary, but the band charms more often than it irritates, which wasn't always true of the long-ago acts that helped inspire the Kicks' sound.
Unlike the guy with the Seagulls fetish, they're unlikely to trigger your flight instinct.
