Apple Music calls this "French pop". The band refers to itself as "rock bruitiste", which translates directly to "noise rock." The band is from Montreal, thus the French. And some songs, like the soul-crunching "Miroirs", pretty much take your head off. Other songs veer widely around the classic brit-punk sounds, managing to blend, say, Gang of Four and Joy Division (which is much harder than it sounds).

Zouz Jours des Cendre (Simone Records)

Zouz has only criterion: Find a beat and drive that sucker into the ground. The sounds that surround that rhythm might be pretty and minimalist, harsh and space-filling or (and this is where it gets interesting) a combination of those extremes. At once Stooge-y and Godflesh-ish, with nods to NIN, Mekons, the bands I mentioned above and many more. There is a lot going on.

The production leaves a dull finish, which mutes the brighter moments and tends to leave the whole album drifting in an angry cloud. Which then brings to mind My Bloody Valentine, and with good reason. This isn't quite so blissed-out and fuzz-boxed, but the sonic compression means uncovering the layers takes that much more effort.

And yet this is one of the most instantly accessible albums I've heard. Accessible for those who like their music weird, anyway. Zouz seems intent on wandering the earth in search of a sound it hasn't used yet and then running that sound through a belt sander. Gorgeous, repulsive and propulsive, this album will pretty much excite all the emotions. What a wild and heart-stopping set.

Jon Worley