If Spotify is good for anything, it’s that, just occasionally, the logarithm recommends an artist that you’ve never heard of but suits your tastes almost perfectly. Et voila, this is how I first heard of Fleur.

If you also love garage rock, 60s pop of the French variety, Françoise Hardy and the more recent likes of The Courettes and Fabienne Del Sol, you’re in for a treat.

With two albums of laid-back 60s-influenced pop under her belt, this time round Fleur has set free her inner ‘Yé-Yé’ girl and the results are magnificent. All ten songs were written by Mark ten Hoor, of The Kryng, who certainly has an ear for the genre. However, Fleur is more than “une poupée” (puppet/doll). She inhabits these songs, making them her own, along with her image. You have heard it before, but rarely done this well.

I’d already heard ‘Tu Es Un Être Parfait’, on repeat, which is the perfect introduction for the album as a whole. It’s irresistible. The title track has more of The Troggs about it, suitably savage and abrupt.

Don’t worry if you don’t understand a word, just immerse yourself in the tunes and your world will become immeasurably more groovy.

In fact, I was a little surprised to realise that Fleur hails from the Netherlands, so perfect is her approach to the French language and culture. ‘L’amour!’ is sultry in a way that evokes the wonderful Emanuela and The Hillbilly Moon Explosion, which will give you some idea of the standard being set.

‘T’as Tort’ could easily be a rare Françoise Hardy song from 1965, while ‘Ta Faute’ ups the tempo and the fuzz to get the place swinging. There really is nothing to fault, the playing and production are exactly what the songs need to make them shine. ‘Tu N’es Rien’ adds the Stooges one-finger piano motif.

‘Je T’en Prie’ harks back to her previous, mellower albums, but also sits naturally amongst the harder edged tunes. A dreamy number. ‘Nous Continuerons À Marcher Ensemble’ lets rip, and your hips should follow. Consult your doctor if this is not the case. I’m running out of superlatives. This album has been lovingly created, the quality never drops. As a francophone, I also love the way she pronounces the lyrics clearly, so that I can understand everything.

‘J’en Perds La Tête’ would please Jacques Dutronc, sans doute. Another one to swing your pants to.

And with ‘Je Sais Ce Que Tu Veux’, it’s over too soon. After one listen, I ordered the vinyl, a rare thing for me. Available on LP, CD and cassette via Harry Records/Soundflat, get on over to Fleur’s Bandcamp page. It’s nearly Christmas, et tu le mérites.

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Author: Martin Chamarette