The last Limiñanas album we had to review was cool but a little dull, the highlight a song with Hooky on bass.

This new album from the hip French duo is much better, so much so that the apparently statutory Hooky song is something of a jarring oddity on an otherwise fine album. (We assume it’s Hooky; it’s very New Order if it’s not him).

Just to be clear: The Limiñanas are probably not going to be in anyone’s top albums come December except in French Psychedelic Groove Monthly magazine’s “best albums from people who look like Sebastien Tellier” chart. But if it’s not great it is pleasant, stands repeated plays and will make you sound like a dude who knows cool music.

A typical Limiñanas song has lots of floor tom, hypnotic bass and guitars playing psychedelic solos of varying degrees over the top. Opener, the aptly named Overture, is the most typical. But it’s tighter and more interesting than their earlier work; track two Le Premier Jour is spoken French and reverb but has an interesting synth melody towards the end, the mumbled French ending at just the right time.

The Limiñanas are still cool, but now they’ve got interesting tunes as well.