In a world sometimes too shiny and antiseptic, comes the fresh and passionate debut CD of Porco Rosso, the Red Pig. That name says it all: the familiar pig, revered in many cultures as a “good luck” charm, and red, THE color of passion. The songs on the CD, titled des jours meilleurs, are captivating. Like the classic sweet and moody 70’s Pop era, yet fresh. Expect interesting lilting melodies, tender vocals, and rich, raw instrumentation paving each song. Like a lover seduced, the listener is drawn into a musical world of melancholy and mystery. Seduction, mystery and surprises are key words describing this 2004 debut CD. From the brooding Radiohead-imbued notes of “l’age adulte”, to stealth bass and guitar tiptoeing from the scene of the crime in “celine”, to the raging “toutes les femmes de nos vies”, to the Pulp Fiction-danceable “des jours meilleurs”, to the Ray Davies-influenced infectious “personne ne sait (I’m a junky)”, to the final simple track, “princeton street.” Other cool stuff: these songs align naturally as a soundtrack to fine literature like Emily Dickenson or Edgar Allen Poe, or even a current hot Spy flick, a la James Bond. Porco Rosso’s debut CD des jours meilleurs charms with down to earth music for the soul. (Word: they are releasing their follow-up CD Porcography in summer 2005.) C’est tres Bon! Highly recommended.