Search - Françoise Hardy :: Clair Obscur

Francoise is back and YES she's still got it!

Colin S. Boyd | dallas, tx USA | 06/03/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"no, it doesn't sound like her sixties recordings. the new record has modern production touches: francoise hardy TODAY. but all the great qualities of her music are here! she still writes beautiful melodies. and she has an un-erring ear for picking those written by others. her voice is still there, still beautiful, and still great. a must for francoise fans... fans of ALL her musical eras. if you've never heard of francoise, start with a "vogue" greatest hits or "comment de dire adieu". then get "clair-obscur". two english language cuts, on "clair", are class acts. first a duet with iggy pop on the old chestnut "i'll be seeing you". simultaneously beautiful, funny, and eerie! also she sings, with etienne daho, the old everly brothers number "so sad to watch good love go bad". this lovely french singer STILL has a profound love for the beautiful early american pop/rock-and-roll. back in the sixties, in addition to her own wonderful compositions, she was recording songs by the everlys, as well as buddy holly, elvis, and carole king. another great moment on clair-obscur is her update of her own "tu ressembles a tous ceux qui ont eu du chagrin", originally on her "soleil" record. clair-obscure is great from beginning to end. BUY IT!"

Class, style, and enduring beauty

Alejandra Vernon | Long Beach, California | 11/26/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The decades go by, and Francoise Hardy remains my favorite female pop singer. This CD, which is a recent offering by this great star, has some true gems on it, and is what "easy listening" should be; relaxing but at the same time immensely interesting...this is a CD that will not go stale on you.Hardy sings 4 duets:
2 are in English; the oldie "I'll Be Seeing You" with Iggy Pop, and the Everly Brothers hit "So Sad" with Etienne Daho, and I find them both charming.
"Celui que tu veux" is with Ol, a French-Cameroonese singer-songwriter, and this track has a marvelous funky sound, with Ol also on guitar, and "Puisque vous partez en voyage", is with her husband Jaques Dutronc, and has some deliciously smooth and sultry spoken parts."Une homme est mort", which she adapted from the original by Jose-Maria Cano is a big favorite, as is the title song, which she co-wrote with Kahil Chahine, who also did the soft, exquisite instrumentation.
Hardy co-wrote 3 other tracks, with Alain Lubrano: "Duck's blues", "La verite des choses", and the most experimental piece on the CD, "La pleine lune".The booklet insert has all the lyrics in French, and total time is 48'14.
Mellow and fine through and through, there isn't a song on this album that isn't a delight...yet another winner from this exceptional artist."

Francoise Is Strong as Ever

T. J Mitchell | Chicago, IL United States | 11/27/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"In case there was ever any doubt that Francoise Hardy could put out great material during a recording career that predates the Beatles and the Stones, this album should lay all naysayers to rest. Francoise's love of song, her impeccable taste, and her tribute to the early rock music that grabbed her on English radio make this album an ecclectic walk through what is best about all music. Unlike her mostly original material, this album mainly pays hommage to her 20th century influences while giving us glimpses of the discerning genius she is determined to remain. Since the album is like a love letter in a general sense, it's fitting that the opening track, Puisque Vous Partez en Voyage, is a duet with her husband Jacques Dutronc - a romantic lounge classic replete with the lovers' witty repartee as the music ensues. The sullen Django Reinhardt jazz guitar classic, Tous Mes Souvenirs Me Tuent, is a follow up that adds great texture and warmth to the melange of styles. The album then takes a turn for the sultry with Celui Que Tu Veux, Francoise's duet with OI - a song that breathes romance in equally jazzy minor 7th chords during which Francoise answers her male counterpart with a falsetto "di di di di." But probably the strongest new track on the album is Duck's Blues, an Alain Lubrano acoustic groove that echoes the instrumental twists of much of the album with Francoise painting her contemplative lyrics over the top. Perhaps for Francoise's own amusement, she includes a version of the much covered I'll Be Seeing You (in English of course) with punk icon Iggy Pop. Though it's hard to conceive of as anything but campy, this track lends credence to the occasional necessity of musical icons joining forces if, at the least, as some melodic footnote in the journal of a two great careers. La Pleine Lune is another brilliant representation of Francoise and Alain Lubrano's succesful collaboration - melodic, dreamy country blues guitar etched beneath a voice that skillfully carries the mood in plaintive, thoughtful tones. So Sad, the Everly Brothers' gem is included mainly because it was the one song Francoise could pinpoint that gave her the itch to sing and ultimately record. Though the interpretation is softer and more muted, it urges the listener to send a big thank you to Phil and Don for sparking one of the greatest talents of this modern era. Claire Obscure is an album with a focus on what has come before, but there are so many hints as to what Francoise is capable of. La Saison des Pluies and La Verite des Choses are both lyrically hers, both ballads of the most downtrodden order, but so melodically clever with their swooning vocal twists that in the end one gets the impression that Francoise still has so much more to share with us."