There’s a tiny town to the north-east of Paris called Peronne.
It’s in the Somme, so it rains a lot, and both the buildings and surrounding countryside are deeply gashed with marks from the two terrible world wars that were fought there.
To the French, the town may not mean a lot. It’s certainly insignificant compared to the great hulking city of Paris just a few kilometres away.
But to me it’s vital – a beautiful town with history; a town with the best Patisseries I’ve ever had the pleasure of repeatedly gorging myself in; a town with friendly bars serving excellent, cheap wine.
Finding deep importance in something that others deem insignificant is an essential human trait. The music industry is wholly based around this basic, blind lust. How else could Scouting For Girls‘ (NB: new album coming soon – BRACE BRACE BRACE) career be explained?
Mondrian are from Paris, so might have visited Peronne, or – more likely – watched it blur past whilst travelling on the TGV. I won’t hold it against them.
Very Wary‘s ennui is, indeed, palpable, and the simple interplay between the lazily plucked instruments and sleepy observations of sweet love is delicious. It’s a brazenly lovely song. They aren’t worrying about their importance, or their time or place, and are instead bent on – get this – writing a nice song.
I realise I’ve undersold Mondrian. I’m sorry. Very Wary is genuinely soporific in its tenderness, and I think I’ve partly dozed off. Mondrian manage to make songs that are simple, beguiling and displaying a Gallic lubriciousness that will charm your pants off and tuck you into bed.