Ludovic Navarre was in great danger of becoming the forgotten man of French dance music, but here he is, returning as St Germain after a 15-year absence. Two decades is a vast amount of time in music, but in a strange way it’s like he hasn’t been away. It is also reassuring to report that he is not sitting on the laurels of Tourist, but has been working with a group of African musicians, using traditional Malian instruments. The resulting album is a beautiful piece of work, one that uses electronics but in a really sensitive way to complement the energy already built up by the acoustic elements. Vocals are well chosen, with Lighnin’ Hopkins a guest on ‘Real Blues’ and Bagayogo a passionate presence on ‘Voilà’. The slower tracks have plenty going for them too, with ‘Hanky Panky’ a good example of well worked jazz-influenced harmonies. Meanwhile perhaps the best example of acoustic and electronic blending together is ‘How Dare You’, which works its way into some classy, smoky deep house. Whereas his last album ‘Tourist’ was unfairly regarded as a coffee shop album, ‘St Germain’ reminds us of the substance there is in Ludovic Navarre’s music. It deserves to be widely played.
5 out of 5
Reviewed by Ben Hogwood
