By Serge Okey
Blonde Redhead
The Shadow of the Guest
We weren’t really expecting much anymore from this New York band from the ’90s-2000s, which quickly became a trio. The Pace brothers are now young sexagenarians, and no one had high hopes left for Kazu Makino’s voice. Always in the running, never the winner, Blonde Redhead nevertheless makes a magnificent comeback with this eleventh album that will give you goosebumps. What a wonderful idea to revisit and extend their previous album Sit Down for Dinner (2003), now reorchestrated with the Brooklyn Youth Chorus. A sumptuous daydream carried by three gems: the choral-rich opener Rest of Her Life, the addictive Coda, and the hypnotic Kiss Her Before the Snow with its irresistible chorus. A true grand mass.
Paul de Senneville
Best Of
“My family was aristocratic, but without wealth. Everything I have, I owe to horses,” said Count de Senneville during his lifetime. His appearance in this column is thanks to Jean-Pierre Dubois. Co-owner of High Echelon (Prix d’Amérique 1979), this breeder under the Mauzun label made a name for himself in international trotting with L’Amiral Mauzun and Jean-Michel Bazire (Elitloppet 2007). A unique figure in the racing world, this journalist was also a composer, label owner, and even Michel Polnareff’s manager. He’s the one who brought pianist Richard Clayderman to fame. He left behind numerous soundtracks, commercial jingles, and many songs either solo or with Olivier Toussaint, his writing partner and co-member of the Pop Concerto Orchestra.
Smerz
Big City Life
A lovely surprise from this Norwegian duo who wrap us in a gentle melodic haze. As Vogue rightly noted, it’s hard to tell whether you’ve stepped into a jazz basement or a trendy Berlin club. Backed by Björk, Henriette Motzfeldt and Catharina Stoltenberg deliver a charming deconstructed pop. Over original arrangements, their delicate vocal tones overlap beautifully. Often ethereal, this 13-track album maintains a clear artistic direction while subtly shifting into the spectral (Dreams), jazz (What), or distortion (A Thousand Lies). We move from the pulse of Feisty to the whispered Imagine This. One of the album’s catchiest tracks remains the irresistible You Got Time and I Got Money.