St Germain - St Germain, album review: 'classy background fare'

Ludovic Navarre returns after 15 years with new African influences
St Germain is back with new African influences, but its the electronics that sound dated
Benoit Peverell
David Smyth9 October 2015

You may have filed Ludovic Navarre’s big-selling Tourist album beside Moby’s ubiquitous Play at the start of the last decade.

St Germain - St Germain

Both mixed sophisticated electronica with dusty vocal samples and jazzier flourishes. Navarre has been virtually silent since, and 15 years since his last release the French producer has turned his ear to Africa.

Malian kora and n’goni tiptoe over the tick-tocking percussion of Real Blues, while the late Lightnin’ Hopkins provides an evocative vocal. There are male and female African singers on Family Tree and Voilà, plus blues guitar and meandering keyboards.

Ironically it’s the electronic element that sounds most dated. Mary L is crying out for a fancy hotel lobby to drift across. The whole is classy background fare.

(Parlophone)

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