Ludovic Navarre AKA St Germain Presents Soel ‎– Memento

Those who picked up this album expecting a new St. Germain album were probably a bit disappointed. This album is only 'presented by' Mr. Navarre, though he does serve as producer. But from the opening mellow notes of "Le Vicomte," with its gentle guitars and jazz flutes, it's easy to hear why St. Germain would have been attracted to the project. The bass on "Shining Pain" helps ground t hat track with its piano and trumpet jabs before the saxophone takes over, while the a smoky funk takes up with the spoken word on "My Singing Soul." But, as pleasing as these songs are, there's a general soporific feel to the album. And while it's fine for cosmically dreamy tracks, like "Earth Mother," it lets others, like "Black Women" and "The Way U R" down. Some mellow breaks creep into "To This World," giving it additional heft, as does the righteous speech on "We Have Died Already." And while it's not St. Germain, his imprimatur goes a long way.