The Best French Albums of 2023
Let's wrap up the year, if you please. I've also included music from Belgium and Switzerland.
Here we go again : we’re here to review the best French records of 2023. If you remember, this newsletter started with a round-up of the best French records of 2022. It’s already been a year of I Only Listen to French Music ! 22 posts later, I’m still writing about French music. Some of those records got a full write-up and at least a quarter of them deserved one too. Happy holidays! Please consider becoming a paying subscriber so I can quit my day job.
The majority of the albums are from France, but five of them were primarily released in Brussels, Belgium (even if some of them are the creation of the gentrifying French citizens). It’s hard to know. This top also includes a couple records from Switzerland (that’s new). Some of the records in this list are the shared work from people from two of those countries. Finally, I would like to confess a lack of music from Québec in this one, even though there’s one guy born in Montreal in the list. I haven’t followed what’s happening over there as closely as I should. Don’t hesitate to send your recommandations.
Almost all of them are mainly sung in French but two are fully instrumentals, one is sung in Occitan, another in multiple African languages and two are entirely sung in English. There’s some Italian here and there for good measures.
Those twenty records are heavy on electronic loops, introspective chanson, rock sensibilities and my never-ending love for minimal wave. Rap is definitely the biggest absence from this list. I’ve listened to H Jeunecrack and it was fine. But the rest I’ve heard have been quite atrocious. People have said I’m getting old. I also realize most of those records come from independent record labels rather than the big companies. I’m not mad about it. It just means la variété didn’t deliver this year.
I’m limiting myself to 20 albums, but I could add plenty of honorable mentions.
#1 Ascendant Vierge - Une nouvelle chance
ascendant vierge is an opera gabber power duo formed by Mathilde Fernandez (a Belgian lady) and Paul Seul (a French dude). I already talked extensively about ascendant vierge’s first album (in what was by far the most read post of the year with more than 500 readers) where I said “Une Nouvelle Chance is not only the best French album of the year but truly the best album of the year”. I still stand beside that. Inspired by Mylène Farmer and moving away from gabber influences to embrace the whole spectrum of electronic music, Une nouvelle chance hardly leave you time to breathe. It has been a pleasure to see them thrive in France and internationally. I saw them twice and it was great both times.
Listen on Spotify - Buy on their store
#2 Charlène Darling - La Porte
On her sophomore album, released on the London-based record label Disciples, Charlotte Kouklia (Charlène Darling’s real name) sings her heartaches like no one else. It’s funny, charming, sad and self-deprecating. From her already excellent first album, Saint Guidon, the sound has evolved immensely with the addition of a full band behind her. The songs, still born in DIY chamber pop, don’t shy away to expand in sprawling Velvet Underground atmospheres.
#3 Flavien Berger - Dans Cent Ans
Flavien Berger’s last record Dans cent ans is the third album of a trilogy about time started with Leviathan and Contre-Temps. Without a guest vocalist in sight, Flavien Berger is bound to use his voice way more, including neat electronic tricks to repeat syllabus and sounds. The 15-minute title track, Dans cent ans, is a crash course in Flavien Berger’s music. From a quiet intro to a techno rubble, the song is an evolutive odyssey with Easter eggs for the fans.
#4 Balladur - Pourquoi certains arbres sont si grands ?
It can be a bit confusing but yes: Balladur is the name of one of our former prime ministers, chosen as a joke by the Lyon-based duo. Still, the contrast between joke name and intricate pop music has never been so strong on their fourth album. Set to exotic synths and syncopated poly-rhythm, Balladur releases their most concise record with only six real songs, but they are all gorgeous! Especially Ma Dai, their best song ever and the best song of the year.
#5 Hyperculte - La Pangée
Hyperculte is a simple pleasure. With Vincent Bertholet, the ring leader of Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp, and Simone Aubert, a constant presence within the experimental scene in Geneva, their duo is obviously the place where both musicians come to let lose. On La Pangée, they are free to yell political messages into a microphone over the most groovy post punk/krautrock you ever heard.
#6 Forever Pavot - L’idiophone
I wasn’t sure about listening to Forever Pavot at first. I know he’s an extremely skilled musician with an impressive collection of synths but sometimes his love for goofy pastiche can take the wheel over the creation itself. On L’idiophone, savant influences are still abondant but Émile Sornin never sacrifices his music over them. The record is extremely cinematic and features songs that are complex and awesome.
#7 Orval Carlos Sibelius - Territoires de l'inquiétude
Orval Carlos Sibelius projects have seen a constant increase in scale and ambition throughout his career. But for the first time, Orval Carlos Sibelius is downsizing. The songs, still in French, are admittedly shorter and more direct on purpose, scaling down from the extravaganza of the previous album. Like the title implies, Territoires de l’Inquiétude is almost a retro sci-fi adventure, a pulpy space opera with tangy guitars, jumpy rhythms and vintage synths.
#8 Roxane Métayer - Perlée de sève
Already featured in my review for 2022, the very productive Roxane Métayer released two records this year. The second one, Adage Vestige, was a cool exercise in long-form creation but we’re talking about the first one. Perlée de Sève is slightly more accessible with actual music and features shorter tracks focused on one theme. Still obsessed with reproducing the sounds she can hear in nature, Roxane Métayer uses all kinds of hand-made instruments and electronic machinery to enhance her unusual approach to violin. Looking forward to 2024.
#9 Sourdurent - L'herbe de détourne
Ernest Bergez is expanding his universe. First by recruiting additional members to pluralize his main project Sourdure (Jacques Puech is an usual suspect in this kind of endeavor) and secondly by going beyond borders to look for musical influences (Tunisia and Afghanistan are name dropped in the presentation). With subtle bursts of electronics, he still produces the traditional music of the future.
#10 Robbing Millions - Rêve Party
I remember when I heard about the release of Rêve Party. Some dude came to a Divagation show with a vinyl under his arm because he wasn’t sure he would be able to grab one after. At the time I didn’t know who he was but after a charming interview and listening to his wonderful record of psychedelic pop, I now think Lucien Fraipont is the only guy who can reconcile the buzzing jazz scene of Brussels with the DIY pop scene populated by French expats.
#11 Ventre de Biche - Vaniel
For the fist time, Luca Retraite aka Ventre de Biche changed his formula to expand his scope. If Vaniel feels like the soundtrack of a cheap polar, including many instrumental interludes and an epic Italian theme in the middle of the record, it’s because it is. Released with a companion short movie following the strange encounter of three night owls in Strasbourg’s suburbs. It’s the perfect vehicle for Ventre de Biche’s DIY ambitions.
#12 L'Argousier - Diluer
This is bad luck really. I was supposed to record an interview just before they announced their split. Despite that, Diluer will be the smart and ambitious lone record from Lille-based duo L’Argousier. I still can’t succeed to describe their music properly, but it’s mysterious and energetic and at some point, there’s a bunch of brass instruments.
#13 En Attendant Ana - Principia
It’s good to hear En Attendant Ana once again. I can’t believe I’ve almost missed it. Released in January, it might have eluded my radar for a while but the band got bigger than ever with a never-ending US tour and a nod in the best album list from Time Magazine (no less). You can probably thank their US-based label for that, but in truth, they deserve it. Because En Attendant Ana is the most consistent rock band in France.
#14 Yalla Miku - Yalla Miku
Yalla Miku is a supergroup featuring the two members of the aforementioned Hyperculte, the guys from Cyril Cyril, plus three immigrant musicians from Eritrea, Morocco and Algeria. It’s one of the best records of African pop of the year and the fact that it comes from the city of Bongo Joe is no surprise. At first, it’s hard to hear that Yalla Miku is a Swiss band but it truly represents all the good sides of the melting pot city that is Geneva.
#15 Milk TV - Neo Geo
What happens when you combine the forces of a Flemish punk guitarist, a drummer who also releases gorgeous albums of nouvelle chanson française and the fiery bass player of Phoenician Drive (an oriental rock combo who also released an EP this year)? Lots of explosions! The fight between art-rock vs. post-punk influences have never been so fun to listen to.
#16 Aksak Maboul - Une Aventure de VV (Songspiel)
Aksak Maboul is a Belgian avant-rock collective started in 1977 by Marc Hollander. Since 2014, he shares direction duties with his partner: long-time member Veronique Vincent. For their fifth album, Veronique Vincent takes the lead, as the title informs you, with a 63-minute audio odyssey, mixing experimental rhythms, ethereal synths, VV’s theatrical spoken words, surprise choruses from Stereolab’s Laetitia Sadier, a hint of Zappa and a little bit of Jazz.
#17 La Tène - Ecorcha/Taillée
Ecorcha/Taillée contains two fairly succinct pieces, arranged more delicately than usual, taking full advantage of the new players : La Tène has recently upgraded to seven members (including Jacques Puech again). Even if they still remain in their own subgenre of medieval drone, you can hear some quiet moments and - no joke, it’s in the press release - a rhythm from Rosalía’s hit Saoko.
#18 Chilly Gonzales - French Kiss
Chilly Gonzales has been partially living in Paris for more than a decade. We can often see him on French TV or radio, talking in an almost perfect French with his unique accent. Born in Montreal, he is now a French citizen. But it took him a while to finally release a record in French. Despite the gimmicks, French Kiss is an extremely enjoyable pop record from an effortless musical genius, with fresh sounds, great vocalists and excellent production. A return to form for the Chilly Gonzales of the good old days.
#19 Albin de La Simone - Les cent prochaines années
I always love hearing about Albin de la Simone, the go-to piano guy of a certain fringe of the nouvelle chanson française. The result is a cute and precise pop record only Albin de la Simone can release. He’s a very skilled musician, his distinct trait being is peculiar high-pitched but slightly raspy voice, his carefully crafted lyrics and its extremely French pronunciation.
Listen on Spotify - Buy with his label
#20 Zaho de Sagazan - La symphonie des éclairs
The long-awaited first album of Zaho de Sagazan is a cohesive piece of art, answering all the unopened questions we might have about her. The music is minimalist and electronic with a strong dramatic flair. The singing is extremely French (think Barbara, Brel, Eddy de Pretto, cigarettes and sad family reunions).
Cool list. The Charlène Darling record almost made the cut on mine. Shows a ton of promise.