Review of HOUSE from ALL MUSIC GUIDE ///////////4 of 5 stars // Editors pick: Top 40 Releases of Oct 2010. ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Le Concorde have always been a backwards looking pop band. Whether it’s the finely constructed chamber pop of their self-titled debut EP from 2004, the very slick and '80s-sounding album Universe and Villa, or 2007’s similarly glossy EP Suite, the band’s main man, Stephen Becker, has always looked to the past for inspiration; and mostly to the perfectly constructed pop of U.K. bands like Prefab Sprout, Scritti Politti, or the Lilac Time, but also to groups like the Zombies and the Left Banke. Despite this, the group has always managed to sound fresh and more inspired by their influences, rather than in thrall to them. On 2010’s album House, Becker is still heavily influenced by his idols (David Gamson of Scritti Politti produces some songs and adds synth and programming), but the record sounds much more modern. The band’s sound is still rooted in Becker's remarkably pure vocals that are equal parts boyish (Green of Scritti) and sophisticated (Paddy from Prefab) and his hooky melodies, but the addition of clunky drum machines, Auto-Tune, sequencers, modern retro-synths, and computer tricks boosts the pop quotient and gives the songs more punch and immediacy. Some of them you can even imagine sneaking onto a (very) adventurous pop radio station’s playlist. It’s the exact same move Becker's influences made at one time by leaping into the mainstream and adopting the sound of the day but twisting it to a unique style or vision. Le Concorde manage this better than some of their antecedents, and there are no embarrassing moments or dated sounds on House; just really great, slick and breezy pop. From the disco-smooth “Sometimes It’s Hard”, the sunshine bright “Make Our Move” (which comes complete with Prince-like synth bass swoops), or the quietly melancholy “Kisses with Comet Tails” to the bubbly “The Movement of Cherry Blossom Shadows” that explodes into a chorus that would make the New Radicals blush, the album is full of high-concept production, imagination, and hooks both melodic and sonic. With House, Becker and his crew of collaborators (which includes Chicago house legend Vince Lawrence) have crafted a pop record that equals the best moments of the artists who inspired them. That Le Concorde will never have even a small fraction of the acclaim or notice bands like Prefab Sprout or Scritti Politti had isn't down to any quality issues, it’s just a sign of the times. Besides, you get the feeling that Green or Stephen Duffy would love House, and that’s probably enough for Becker.
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Sometimes you have to leave everything behind to find yourself. For Le Concorde’s Stephen Becker, leaving his beloved Chicago for the sun-bleached shores of his native West Coast was a difficult decision, and one that directly shaped his fourth album House. His most accomplished and ambitious record to date, multi-instrumentalist Becker builds on the infectious synths and introspective songwriting of previous outings to create a record that is at once brainy yet accessible, philosophical yet indelibly catchy. It’s a thinking person’s pop record, and behind the dance floor ready beats and crisp production lie musings on lost love, personal transformation, and coming out clean on the other side. The idea is to challenge listeners, to look through the glittery mirror ball and see what’s on the other side. “ I always set the bar exceedingly high for myself,” says Stephen. “The records I like to make are ambitious in their sonic details and arrangements; to me each song is a painstakingly hand-crafted jewel.”
After self-releasing an EP in 2004, Le Concorde was soon on the CMJ charts, in steady rotation on XM Radio’s XMU and was rapidly picked up by NYC’s March Records. Le Concorde’s critically acclaimed full-length Universe and Villa was released in 2005, followed by the equally lauded Suite in 2007. With each record, Becker has expanded his sonic vision, teaming with his teenage musical hero, legendary composer/engineering pioneer David Gamson (Scritti Politti) on House.
Not content to simply compose lo-fi, melancholic ballads on an acoustic guitar, Becker incorporates his love of 80s New Wave to create indie-pop that shimmers on the surface, yet seeks a deeper truth. There are no easy answers to the questions posed in House. According to Stephen, tracks like “The Movement of Cherry Blossom Shadows,” one of House’sstandout tracks, deals with the difficulty of keeping beautiful memories when they are set within old broken relationships.
A forefather of the current synth pop explosion, Le Concorde shares the intelligent, dance friendly aesthetic of bands like Passion Pit, Cut Copy and Hot Chip, while creating a sound that is completely unique. For an artist constantly looking to the future while simultaneously embracing the past, House is Becker’s dream project and a love letter to anyone seeking a little heart and soul in a crowded indie-dance scene.
New Album - HOUSE - Available Everywhere 10/26/2010
Press
"Ditching the academe for the recording studio never sounded so guiltless." - CMJ Magazine, Dec 2007
"A dreamy pin-up artist for the indie pop generation. Heart." - Advanced Copy
"[Suite is] a contagious flurry of nearly nineteen minutes of gentility and sophistication. - Seattle Post Intelligencer
"I have not been so infatuated with a band in years." - Heaven or Las Vegas UK
"Here's your new favorite band: Le Concorde. Get ready to hear your new favorite songs. So much intensity here." - No Dessert for You
"A true pop panache. .a sweet, dreamy epitaph that finds Becker reflecting on the fleeting nature of love and loss." - Amplifier
"The bar has officially been raised. Although Le Concorde has only been around since 2003, they sound like pop rock veterans." - Glide Magazine
"Le Concorde: Ready for Zach Braff" - Mother Jones
"This is pop in the best sense of the word." The Onion
"Comparisons to Phoenix are warranted.shared appreciation for the earnest pop harmonies available only to those with the courage to croon." - ButterTeam
"As lovely and poignant as pop music can get." - IndieSpinZone
"So memorable and infectious that it is destined to be downloaded on your iPod and played repeatedly without the fear of becoming stale or redundant." - Lost At Sea
"A perfect measure of sincere, modern craft and late-'80s eloquence."- Neumu
Top Album of the Year Lists - Village Voice - XMU - XM Satellite Radio - Excellent Online
