Clara Luciani

Earlier this year, we were treated to the neo-disco vibes of L’Imperatrice. Now Coeur, the new (second) album by Clara Luciani also asks for neon lights and shiny pants. Sainte-Victoire, Luciani’s debut, was more hard-edged alt.pop with pushy basslines, this time she’s gone a tad softer, more strings, more synths and more slows. Her husky voice was always a dead ringer for Francoise Hardy, and it still works that way. Either in ballads (Sad & Slow), or mid-tempo disco-tracks like La Place, which brings back memories to Hardy-tracks like V.I.P.. Au Revoir, the album closer, is her take on Jane Birkin/Melody Nelson.

No, don’t think Luciani’s a copycat. She has her own style, her songs (Respire Encore, titletrack, Le Reste) are VERY good. It’s more that Clara knows where she’s coming from and makes it all her own.