If a record has Louis Philippe's name on it, then that record is worth picking up. The French-born, London-housed musician has been associated with the legendary él Records but, of course, he's done other things. Now teaming up with a band called The Night Mail, he's dropping Thunderclouds on Tapete Records on Friday.
The band features the ever-busy Robert Rotifer on guitar, Andy Lewis on bass, and Ian Button (Papernut Cambridge) on drums. The players buttress Philippe's light-as-air compositions, and give a jazz-style pep to each cut here. "When London Burns" is spry and playful, while "The Man Who Had It All" marries one of the loveliest melodies you're going to encounter in 2020 with Philippe's warm vocals. This one feels like older Louis tracks, but the backing by The Night Mail gives this a zest that's less chamber pop than something else entirely. "Love is the Only Light" and "Fall in a Daydream" are beautiful, but they're both indications that Philippe can broaden his approach a bit. Fans of his older material will be gently surprised at how easily these progress.
Louis Philippe always brought a precise form of ornamentalism to his compositions, such that things usually felt nearly like mini-symphonies. Thunderclouds is full of melodies the equal of his earlier compositions, but with backing music that's less studied and more intuitive. The responsiveness of these three players to Philippe's guidings as a leader is marvelous, with pieces of this sure to please fans of Sean O'Hagan, Neil Hannon, and even Momus. Of course, Louis Philippe's been making music as long as (if not longer) than those folks, but he rarely gets the attention he deserves. That said, Thunderclouds is remarkably easy to love, and for a long-time fan, it's a welcomed return of one of the great composers in European indie.
Thunderclouds is out tomorrow via Tapete Records.
More information on Louis Philippe via this website
[Photo: Josh Holland]