Showcasing an alluring sophisti-pop sound, Second Mansions is the newly released album from Le Concorde, the project of singer-songwriter Stephen Becker. The memorable sound is propelled further by noted Scottish producer Calum Malcolm, who has worked previously with some of the project’s biggest inspirations in The Blue Nile and Prefab Sprout. The latter is a particularly striking aesthetical reference point here, especially since Becker’s vocals project a smooth, soulful charisma reminiscent of Paddy McAloon — seamlessly accompanied by an array of twinkling synths, warming guitar strums, and harmoniously reflective backing vocals.
Second Mansions represents a stirring return for Le Concorde, whose previous release came 15 years ago with House. Also working with Becker on the album is Roger Manning, Jr., whose knack for earworms spans from his work in legendary power-pop group Jellyfish to a stellar solo output. Manning felt right at home within the creative process, admiring Becker’s ear in addition to the sophisti-pop stylistic pursuit. “Along with jazz, this sophistipop is the music that inspired me in high school,” Manning says. “It was loaded with synthesizers and the keyboard technology of the late Seventies and the early Eighties—bands like Tears for Fears, Peter Gabriel, Scritti Politti—very keyboard-driven, because people were having fun with the technology at the time.”
The highlights are abundant throughout. Opening track “Corpus Christi” melds shimmering guitars and illuminated synths between a dynamic vocal prowess, alternating between debonair intrigue and ascending emotion. “The Sound Alone” achieves a lusher entrancement in its more patiently unfolding vocal beauty and infusing of comforting bass lines and glistening synths; Jordan-era Prefab Sprout comes to mind here. Another standout, “Saint James” brings us back into the brisker rock territory as jangling guitars and punchy vocals enamor. From starry-eyed synths to rousing rock-forward guitars, Second Mansions represents an eclectic, consistently melodic sophisti-pop return for Le Concorde.
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