To say Haiku Salut are an odd ensemble would fall several metres short of the mark, judging by their 2013 release Tricolore.
Their music has influences from all over the map, unifying elements of indie, post-rock, electronic music, and even baroque pop. Their compositions, largely instrumental, rarely conform to expectations, with each piece taking more twists and turns than can be kept track of. Yet despite the confusing exterior, the album has an inescapably intriguing atmosphere about it. By virtue of the unexpected choices in instruments and style, each song is designed to pique your interest, to the point where hearing one track means you'll likely listen to the whole album by accident.
The whole album sounds kitschy, but incidentally so--Haiku Salut sound like they just so happened to stumble upon the magical unifying element of musical enjoyment. They deserve credit for producing an album that not only catches the listener off guard, but keeps her on her toes until the very end. Tricolore is like nothing I've ever heard, and I mean that to be a profound compliment. You definitely need to give this album a listen.
