"London now comes just after Bordeaux in terms of numbers of its urban French population, so it’s perhaps no great surprise to hear an Anglo-French group purveying authentic-sounding popular music from an era of berets, bars and bals musettes. Their admirably retro expatriate chanteuse, Carolyn Saint-Pé, is backed by four British sparrows on accordion (naturally), clarinet, acoustic guitar and double bass. Together they serve up eight morsels at a pace jaunty enough to propel the once slightly risqué close-physical Java dance that is helping to rekindle the popularity of the musette today. Two of the six vintage chansons, ‘La Java de Cézigue’ and ‘J’suis Mordue’, were once sung by the original ‘Little Sparrow’ herself, Edith Piaf. The two remaining numbers, ‘Chez Raymond’ and the playful ‘Brexzut!’, were composed by the band and speak of the modern-day ex-pat experience. It’s a somewhat brief taste of a bygone age, but The Sparrows of Paris do it with affection, brio and enough French polish to appeal to fans of a genre that once was lost, but now seems found. If you’re based in London, be sure to catch them live and have a yourself a ‘bal.’"

Songlines Magazine

issue 133 - 2017