Lispector - "The Return of the Old Flame" ALBUM REVIEW [lofi synth pop livingroom rock]

by Dean Wolfe, Prog dog Media    [album released June 22, 2023]

Home recording is something worth championing. It's a logical first step for an artist to cut their teeth and learn the ropes on a micro scale of what might happen should you land a full blown major-label type music career. Albums like Lispector's 'The Return of the Old Flame' prove you can still master your trade on any scale and create near masterpieces- whether your music is heard by hundreds, millions or even billions. You don't need the most expensive available equipment to capture visionary talent. 

I've been captivated by Lispector's new home-produced synth-pop album for the past few weeks and it's safe to say it's gone deeper than a mere infatuation. 

Lispector is Julie Margat, a visionary one-person music-making indie rock machine. She's based in Bordeaux France but sings mainly in English. She's a prolific songwriter and self recordist with a large back catalog of material. 

Her new solo album is her 22nd (released June 2023) called The Return of the Old Flame. It's both downloadable and streamable, but better yet would be to enjoy it in its DIY glory on an analog cassette. Her first edition sold out immediately upon release and a second edition is shipping September. 

She likely recorded her album in her bedroom or living room, like most of her previous albums, dating back to her earliest work with rudimentary four-track tape machines. I don't know the production specifics of this album (I will ask when I get to interview her and find out) but I'm assuming she's working on a laptop and in the digital realm now, although the hand-crafted feel and charm persists.  

There's lots of Casio-sounding synths going on, (though she mentions the Yamaha brand) plus electric guitars and bass and at least a couple of different drum machines. There's something I find completely charming about her low-energy casual vocal style (*not implying low effort). It sounds like how you expect someone to sing when you're vocalizing in an apartment somewhere in France and trying not to disturb the neighbours during your hours of inspiration. 

Julie Margat's music buzzes with me on a deep and dreamy- happy level. Listening to her warm and economical songs, I feel as though I've spent an afternoon in her cozy French living room, resting my cold drink on a coaster atop her coffee table while she busily tracks tunes at her keyboard. The music creates an instant atmosphere that draws me in and makes me feel right at home.

She's gifted with a perpetually youthful sounding singing voice. Knowing how long she's been at it- since the late 90s, I know she can't still be 23 years old, but that's where you might peg it.  

Self Driving Car is a standout track off the album for me- I listened to it on a loop more than a few times.

Prog dog score: a solid 4 1/2 out of 5 bones. It's an astonishing but simple musical statement of a songwriter fully in her stride across the living room studio floor- a dextrously crafted home-spun near-masterpiece of synth pop.

https://lispector.org/

To see my interview video with Julie Margat: https://youtu.be/xF38KCZCgxc