After a fourteen-year silence, Le Concorde, the project of singer-songwriter Stephen Becker, returns with ‘Second Mansions’, an album that feels both familiar and startlingly fresh. The album opens with “Corpus Christi”, a shimmering synth-pop track that balances intricate chord shifts with soulful vocals. The collaboration with Calum Malcolm gives it a timeless quality, while Doris Brendel’s harmonies add warmth that makes the music feel intimate despite its cinematic scope. It’s a sparkling introduction that sets the tone for an album deeply rooted in the 1980s yet entirely modern.
The songs flow into one another with a natural ease. “Morning By Morning” carries a hymn-like brightness, its gentle synth layers and subtle percussion radiating optimism. “Time Ticking Away” turns more contemplative, its carefully detailed arrangements weaving reflective lyrics with airy textures, capturing the mystery of ordinary moments seen in quiet retrospect. Both “The Sound Alone” and “Memorare” embrace a meditative stillness, combining emotional depth with rich instrumentation. There is an accessible devotion in “Therese of Lisieux”, while “We Are The Songs” glows with a sense of community and warmth. Meanwhile, “Saint James” and “Saint Jude” highlight Becker’s storytelling strength, where heartfelt narratives meet glittering, precise production.
The album’s second half is just as inventive. The evocative “Thirty-Four Trillion Watts” shimmers with energy, while “The Devil Is A Mad Dog On A Chain” surges with almost theatrical intensity, marking one of the record’s most dramatic moments. The closing “Memorare – Montserrat Version – Extended” lingers as a reflective finale, unfolding in waves of beauty and calm. Across ‘Second Mansions’, Becker’s melodies shine, the synth textures are lush and layered, and each track feels meticulously crafted yet deeply human. It’s an album that rewards attentive listening offering both emotional resonance and the pure pleasure of timeless pop craftsmanship.
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