St. Germain – St. Germain: Album Review

Ludovic Navarre, better known by his stage name St. Germain, releases his first studio album in 15 years. St. Germain is the self-titled release from Nonesuch Records, bringing to listeners a mix of his familiar style with a twist that both long-time and new fans will enjoy. This time, he blends that signature ‘French Touch’ style with some African influences that, from the very first track, hits you with a wave of nostalgia that reminds you of what made St. Germain’s sound so popular. The chilled downtempo sounds coupled with blues guitar are similar to “Sure Thing” from his 2000 hit worldwide release Tourist— featured in pharmaceutical ads in the early 2000s— making it instantly identifiable as one of Navarre’s tracks.

St. Germain also exhibits plucked drums and djembe shaker rhythms that are characteristic of Malian music. Interesting compositions emerge from this inclusion of Afrobeat rhythms combined with Navarre’s tendency to mix in soulful, vocal R&B and slowed-down breakbeat samples. “Real Blues” opens the album with the aforementioned Afrobeat rhythms accompanied by synths. There is a Lightnin’ Hopkins sample that acts as a bit of bridge between Navarre’s old influences and where he’s going with this new project. “Sittin’ Here” fades in with a similar rhythm and sound that’s just so infectious that you’ll find yourself bobbing your head tapping your foot to the beat before you realize it. The play between the female vocal samples and the jazz guitar makes it a personal fave of this reviewer. The same could be said for “Viola,” which starts off with that wonderfully played blues electric guitar and features vocals from Malian singers Nahawa Doumbia and Fanta Bagayogo. The complexity of “How Dare You” is the real jewel of this album. The track features vocals and guitar from R.L. Burnside and starts off with a classic jazz blues rhythm. At some point, the track transitions to a house beat with the Burnside vocals and djembe shakers, creating a rather enjoyable listening experience for the listener. Finally, “Mary L.” features synths conga and a smooth breakbeat samples that make for a classic chill, downtempo track.

St. Germain is a wonderful marriage of all of Navarre’s influences. His ability to recapture that wonderful crossover success that he was able to achieve in earlier releases and add yet another element with the Afrobeat sounds makes this latest effort almost worth the 15 year wait. Music has changed a lot since his most successful album and some of the elements in St. Germain that made his sound popular might make it sound a bit dated to some. The album does not break new ground but it does contain some interesting moments that has you looking forward to his next album. One only hopes that fans will not have to wait another 15 years for the next.

—Cory Royster

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