Where 'Général Indigo' could still be defined as introspective and autobiographical, 'Chapeau De Paille' is pretty much the complete opposite. Gone is rainy Paris and instead we get the sun, sea and sand of Pierpoljak's beloved Martinique. The straw hat from the title not only adorns the cover, but also pops up in different tracks on the album (opener 'Rocksteady', 'Tape Dans Le Mille', 'Ça Sent Les Vacances' and of course title track 'Chapeau De Paille'), so one could easily consider this a concept album. Opener 'Rocksteady' is of course an ode to the eponymous genre, but also a reflection of the time Pierpoljak spent in the London in the late nineteen seventies. 'Chapeau De Paille' is certainly not all reggae: the catchy title track would actually be better classified as the better pop song, for 'Tape Dans Le Mille' Pierpoljak goes rock, and if you're in the mood for some tropical vibes there's 'La Route Chanflo' in which Pierpoljak even switches to Creole. Our favorite tracks: 'L'Oeuil Du Cyclone', about the moment just before a storm hits when everything gets eerily quiet and even the birds stop chirping (a meditative moment before all hell breaks loose), and closing track 'Ça Sent Les Vacances', in which Pierpoljak manages to capture the ultimate holiday feeling over a dubby riddim. We found it a bit strange to choose February as the release date for this album, as with 'Chapeau De Paille' Pierpoljak might actually have delivered just about the perfect soundtrack for summer.