Vanessa Paradis – Love Songs (2013) {Deluxe Edition} [Qobuz FLAC 24bit/44,1kHz]

It’s been six years since Divinidylle, and Vanessa Paradis is making up for lost time with the 22-track Love Songs. The title bears some poignancy — this is her first offering since splitting from Johnny Depp. (He and their daughter Lily Rose get co-writing credits on the dubwise “New Year.”) Benjamin Biolay produced the set, wrote six tunes for it, co-wrote another with Paradis, and performed a duet with her. Biolay may not be the next Serge Gainsbourg, but he is the master’s most logical successor in terms of musical sophistication, writing chops, and a willingness to experiment sonically. Among the other songwriters who contributed material are Mathieu Boogaerts, Mickaël Furnon, BB Brunes’ Adrien Gallo, Marcel Kanche, and Paradis. Opener “L’au-Delà” is a modern French chanson offered in lilting waltz time; guitars and snare drum move directly at the singer who slips them and lets the lyric guide her delivery. The title track single by Biolay caused a discussion between singer and producer — being one of his best songs, she wanted him to keep it for himself, but he insisted she record it. It’s classic French disco, complete with big bassline, spacy strings, Star Wars battle synths, organic and synthetic percussion, wah-wah guitars, and an infectious, hooky, vocal chorus. Paradis’ voice, usually wispy and slight, digs into the lyric with force and delight. “Les Espaces et les Sentiments” is funky pop, where the singer struts atop the bassline, synth pulse, and percussion, and places them in service of her sultry delivery. “Tu pars Comme on Revient,” by Biolay, brings the classic age of French chanson to the indie pop era with a flourish, yet it took this singer to pull it off. “The Dark It Comes” is a duet with ex-Libertines’ Carl Barat; it’s a twisted murder ballad whose narrative stands in sharp contrast to its lush musical arrangement. The tango-gypsy fusion in “Le Rempart” is clever and convincing, as is “Sombreros,” where reggae meets cumbia. “Mi Amor” is Phil Spector rock & roll with 21st century production featuring a dirty bassline vamp and blissed-out guitars in the bridge. It highlights Paradis’ sassy, playful phrasing — she can sing this stuff all day and always sound convincing. She lends a wistful poignancy to her reading of Jacques Brel’s classic “La Chanson des Vieux Cons,” which Biolay illustrates dramatically with a restrained operatic backing choir, organ, and piano. His duet with her on “Les Roses Roses” owes as much to early rock & roll as it does to the breezy sophisti-pop Biolay is famous for. As a result of this collaboration, Love Songs is Paradis’ most heterogeneous album musically — though that is admittedly subtle at first. While Biolay’s importance cannot be overstated, this is the very first Paradis record where she sounds like a full partner with her producer rather than the singer he illuminates. While she doesn’t leave pop behind here, she pushes its envelope — and her own — attaining a diversity that we couldn’t have imagined from her previously.

Tracklist:
01 – L’Au-Delà
02 – Love Song
03 – C’Est Quoi?
04 – Les Espaces & Les Sentiments
05 – Prends Garde A Moi
06 – Tu Pars Comme On Revient
07 – The Dark It Comes
08 – Rocking Chair
09 – Station Quatre Septembre
10 – Tu Vois C’ Que Je Vois
11 – La Crème
12 – Le Rempart
13 – Mi Amor
14 – New Year
15 – Tu Si Na Cosa Grande
16 – Sombreros
17 – Etre Celle
18 – Doorway
19 – La Chanson Des Vieux Cons
20 – Les Roses Roses [feat. Benjamin Biolay]21 – Plus D’Amour
22 – Encore

Download:

mqs.link_VanessaParadisLveSngs2013Qbuz24441.rar

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