A collaboration project between Berlin-based Jan Blumentrath and London-based Samuel Deschamps, Ex en Provence reimagines the golden age of countercultural music for modern audiences. The title of “Mrs. Tambourine Girl” pays tongue-in-cheek homage to Bob Dylan’s famous “Mr. Tambourine Man,” and the song is saturated with musical and textual references to bands and songwriters from the 1960’s and 70’s such as The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Who, The Supremes, Bill Withers, Aretha Franklin, and The Rolling Stones.
While it draws its inspiration from the past, “Mrs. Tambourine Girl” calls new urgency to a vision of the world that has yet to be completely realized since the days of Woodstock and Monterey Pop. Ex en Provence adds a little gas to a cultural fire that has recently been mere embers, the struggle for radical love, free thought, and equity around the world. They insist that there is still plenty of work to be done.
To aid them in their musical crusade, Ex en Provence enlists a sonic arsenal evocative of the soundscape of the ‘60s: electric guitar and bass, drums, synthesizer and electronic keyboard. “Mrs. Tambourine Girl” offers a blast of energy, an emphatic demand to elevate collective consciousness. Its raucous sonic rebellion is a wake-up call reminiscent of the great protest songs, more Janis Joplin than Joni Mitchell. The song features undeniable virtuosity, containing complex rhythmic and metrical patterns, unrestrained instrumental playing, and recording techniques that George Martin would certainly approve of. Its music video is both charming and powerful, depicting three young Indian girls who break free from the gloomy confines of their school to express themselves freely as rock stars.
“Mrs. Tambourine Girl” is available on all major streaming platforms.
Written by Jacob Jahiel
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