Emerging in 2005 as a spinoff of the indefinitely grounded Constellation project Fly Pan Am, Feu Thérèse gathers an all-star cast of francophone artists for their sophomore album. Jonathan Parent, who is in charge of “guitares et effets” on Ça Va Cogner, also organizes concerts for La (legendary) Sala Rossa — a mecca for Montreal’s indie scene. Bands like Arcade Fire, Do Make Say Think and Final Fantasy owe a significant debt to the small venue on the boulevard Saint-Laurent which has acted as an entry point into the city’s internationally monitored music scene. Alongside Parent are Alexandre St-Onge, Stephen de Oliveira and Luc Paradis, who are multi-faceted performance and sound artists in their own right.

Given Feu’s placement among the host of highly experimental bands that share their record label, it is tempting to dismiss the group as scene-flotsam, but upon hearing the opener “À Nos Amours,” it becomes clear that they are a different bonhomme altogether. They cleverly manipulate heavily reverbed synthesizers with ebullient drumming and a twinge of psychedelia. de Oliveira, the band’s synthétiseuriste, chanteur and arpégiateur, has a limited yet seductive vocal range — emulating the late Serge Gainsbourg’s spoken-word style, particularly on “Le Bruit du Pollen la Nuit.” Other highlights include the “Visage sous Nylon” and “Ferrari en Feu (pt. 2).” Given de Oliveira’s previous experience with B-movie and documentary scores, it is not surprising that these pieces sound oddly cinematic.

Ça Va Cogner literally translates to “It’s Gonna Knock.” Once you get past a few of the band’s more unusual instrumentation choices, it becomes clear the album is a knockout. Had it come out a few months earlier, there is no doubt that it would have been a strong contender for this year’s Polaris Music Prize. If nothing else, it is a great way to get reacquainted with French-Canadian music.