Lou Rebecca Album Review

Settled in Austin, Parisian Lou Rebecca released an enchanting, French-accented, synth-pop debut on homebase electronic label Holodeck last year. Her musical projects gathered steam with encouragement from friends, and after squadding up with Josh Mills, the singer now offers a full-length of analog synth, keyboard melodies, and her own soft, gossamer voice. Drawing on her country's native disco ("Break It Apart"), the chanteuse also reflects Italo's popularity. Masters such as Giorgio Moroder evolved the genre as France's Marc Cerrone created disco hits like "Supernature." Rebecca pares back even further with hints of dance lending charm to her romantic worldview. Her voice, both in English and French, remains central to each track: sweet, sleepy, flirtatious. The lyrics on Restless feel natural and perfectly timed. Where her debut packed a scattered essay into a rambling paragraph, Rebecca is now languid and unrushed, the graceful, balanced ballerina she aspires to. Each slowly climbing ballad whispers suggested themes. The world of "Miaou Disc-0" glitters light and sunny in the way that wearing your sunglasses at night reflects. Even so, there's a melancholy here ("Waiting"), and as such, dark burners ("Bonbon") are destined for international dance floors – as indeed is the entirety of the deliciously nostalgic 10-track Restless.