We can’t say we didn’t know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Boulevard. Just as we can’t dispute that Lana Del Rey has become (or has always been, for those who had already figured this out) an essential figure in American music. With this ninth album with such a long title, Lana Del Rey remains in her Californian Ophelia character, floating tragically and romantically on the surface of a Hollywood pool. Her songs are slow and rather long, often devoid of choruses or pop gimmicks. Her sensual yet detached vocals are enhanced by minimalist arrangements with most of the songs having a few piano notes and even a few strings. Melancholy is a solitary pleasure, a way of living or at least not dying, in which Lana Del Rey is an expert. It seems that since 2021, and the Chemtrails Over the Country Club album, the singer has had long COVID. Although this languishing vibe is something that has been present in her music for much longer. On the surface there’s lethargy and introspection, even monotony because of the album’s 16-track length, but there’s no disappointment to be found here. It’s a record that you can listen to in private, ideally without disturbance. It leads you down a tunnel which, under the surface, is full of twists and turns, grey areas, echoes and suggestions. The signature track is A&W, which begins as a simple folk ballad and shifts into the realms of experimental hip-hop in the middle. When she lends herself to contemporary pop infused with hip-hop, Lana Del Rey has the good sense not to abuse her craft, to steer her voice clear of autotune. She is a singer whose name belongs among the greats (in no particular order: Kate Bush, Fiona Apple, Carole King, Laura Nyro, Agnes Obel, Joni Mitchell etc.) but who digs tunnels to escape – or hide. © Stéphane Deschamps/Qobuz

Midnights isn't a retreat so much as a return, a revival of the moody electro-pop that kept Reputation roiling. Where that 2017 record carried a measure of defiance, the vibe of Midnights is contemplative even when beats are insistent, as they are on occasion. Despite these fleeting moments of urgency, the record is clearly a soundtrack to be played in the wee hours of the morning. In that sense, Midnights is a kindred spirit to Folklore and Evermore, the twin 2020 albums Swift released during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, yet those records felt like collections of short stories where these songs -- whether in their standard 13-song variation or the lengthy "3 AM Edition" which runs an additional seven tracks -- all feel like confessions, even if they display the sense of exacting lyrical detail she's honed since Lover. These compositions provide a sturdy foundation on a record that wants to capture the aimless suspension of late-night insomnia, a time filled with regret, recriminations, and resignations. Swift spikes this moodiness with hints of steeliness -- witness the cool swagger of "Vigilante Shit" -- but that's merely an accent on an album designed to deliver variations on one specific mood. Although this monochromatic palette tends to highlight the limits of co-producer Jack Antonoff's bag of tricks -- nothing here feels surprising, even when he's playing with textures and teasing out the music's dream pop elements -- the narrow focus is the main attribute of Midnights, as it plays to Swift's sense of control and craft: she may be singing about messy emotions but she sculpts those tangled feelings into shimmering, resonant songs.© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo

Since she first appeared on the scene in the mid-90s, amongst a small but genuine group of artists who claim jazz as an unambiguously ‘native’ musical language, Stacey Kent has consistently innovated her stylistic palette, drawing in new audiences without ever needing to sacrifice her own sound, or her artistic integrity. Her new record is the latest example of her artistic versatility. Kent’s talents as a performer are on full display here, in a complete work that includes three original pieces and a series of classics drawn from Broadway musicals, film scores, French chanson tradition, and Brazilian music.She is accompanied on the record by a small and vibrant jazz ensemble under the artistic direction of her longtime collaborator – multi-instrumentalist and arranger Jim Tomlinson. She navigates multiple languages, and seamlessly transitions with virtuosity and flawless musicality from Michel Legrand's lyricism (“Summer me,Winter me”, “La valse des lilas”) to Carlos Jobim's heady sensuality (“Corcovado”), with the light sophistication of the melodies of Richard Rogers' (“Happy Talk”) or Frederick Loewe (“Show Me”) to the poignant gravity of Jacques Brel (the classic “Ne me quitte pas” sung in French and its English version “If You Go Away”). In each of these pieces, with her clear and vibrant timbre, fluid articulation, and innate sense of swing, Stacey Kent once again demonstrates real artistic originality, through her sensual and sophisticated vocals, full of emotional nuance. © Stéphane Ollivier/Qobuz

Taylor Swift's cottage-core era is over. For the singer's 10th album, she's revived the best bits of her 1989 album—the chill of "Blank Space," "Style"—and re-thought them for the moment. It's synth pop that's not trying to be perfect (which isn't to say every move Swift makes isn't calculated): Sometimes the sounds are warped, even grotesque. The vocals on"Midnight Rain" are slowed and warped to a David Lynch-ian place. It's ironic that Maggie Rogers borrowed a touch of Swift's folksy side for her latest record, because Midnights often sounds like Rogers' electro-pop. You can hear it on bubbling "Karma" and  "Lavender Haze," which finds Swift feeling constrained by society's prudish expectations on celebrities—the constant questions about engagements, marriage, children. "All they keep asking me/ Is if I'm gonna be your bride," she seems to be saying to longtime boyfriend Joe Alwyn. "The only kinda girl they see/ Is a one-night or a wife." There are also shades of Lorde—another collaborator of Swift's producer Jack Antonoff—on  "Vigilante Shit," with its ice-cold beats. The song is supposedly a stiletto to the heart of Swift's  former manager—the one who sold the singer's master recordings out from under her. "I don't start shit, but I can tell you how it ends," she sings, seemingly having revealed that she gave a wife the evidence needed for a pricey divorce settlement. Twee "Snow on the Beach" features (barely, thanks to Antonoff's lasagna-thick vocal layers) Lana Del Rey  and a quick nod to a Jackson —"I'm all for you like Janet," name-checking the singer's 2001 hit—who sent Swift flowers in 2009 after Kanye West stole her moment at the VMAs. And while Swift keeps her loyalties close and her enmities closer, the one big surprise of Midnights is that she exposes a new villain: herself. "Did you hear my covert narcissism/ I disguise as altruism/ Like some kind of congressman?" she sings on the the album's best track "Anti-Hero," addressing years of public skepticism. "Hi/ I'm the problem/ It's me." ("This song really is a guided tour throughout all of the things I tend to hate about myself," Swift has said.) And then there's the charming closer "Mastermind," on which she confesses both to making a romantic meeting look accidental and reveals the origin story of her calculating ways: "No one wanted to play with me as a little kid/ So I've been scheming like a criminal ever since/ To make them love me and make it seem effortless." Musically, "You're on Your Own, Kid" feels as light and innocent as an early Swift country song. Lyrically, it's as revealing as anything she's ever committed to tape: "I gave my blood, sweat, and tears for this/ I hosted parties and starved my body … My friends from home don't know what to say/ I looked around in a blood-soaked gown/ And I saw something they can't take away/ 'Cause there were pages turned with the bridges burned." © Shelly Ridenour/Qobuz  

Ella and Louis is an inspired collaboration, masterminded by producer Norman Granz. Both artists were riding high at this stage in their careers, and Granz assembled a stellar quartet of Oscar Peterson (piano), Buddy Rich (drums), Herb Ellis (guitar) and Ray Brown (bass). Equally inspired was the choice of material, with the gruffness of Armstrong's voice blending like magic with Fitzgerald's stunningly silky delivery. Outstanding are Irving Berlin's "Cheek to Cheek" and "Isn't This a Lovely Day," and everything else works like a dream, with the golden star going to the Gershwin brothers' "They Can't Take That Away from Me." Gentle and sincere, this is deserving of a place in every home.© TiVo

In 2015, Melody Gardot stepped out of her comfort zone with Currency of Man, an album which suited her entirely but displayed a more soul’n’blues side. That is not to say that her brilliant past efforts were not in keeping with her musical personality, but it was with this record that she confirmed her love for Philadelphia, the town in which she grew up and where groove holds a different meaning.  Five years later, Sunset in the Blue holds all the hallmarks of a return to the singer’s old days which made Melody Gardot’s name. The album is a stripped-back approach to jazz and bossa-nova as imposed by the unexpected circumstances of the year 2020. When the album was beginning development, the pandemic brought a halt to everything an forced the American to rethink the project. She hence proposed that her associates, spread out all over the world, work from a distance. Melody Gardot was based in Paris, her arranger and conductor Vince Mendoza in Los Angeles and the majority of her musicians in England! Despite these constraints, the miracle record was on course for creation which would span a period of roughly five months. And so, Mendoza found himself conducting on-screen from California with musicians playing in London’s Abbey Road Studios (things weren’t made any easier considering the various time-differences). In addition to Mendoza, Melody Grant recruited a set of silky smooth sound connoisseurs who were also instrumental in the success of 2009’s My One and Only Thrill: the producer Larry Klein and sound engineer Al Schmitt.Upon listening to the end result, however, we soon forget the last-minute DIY means with which this album was made. Because throughout Sunset in the Blue, Melody Gardot maintains a fascinatingly solid and intimate direction. Here we see a return to Gardot whispering hypnotically into the ear as she sings amid intermittent piano phrases and guitars. Her voice gracefully lounges upon a bed of refined and perfectly balanced violin strings. This formula reaches an irresistible climax with the album’s title track as she turns to her much-loved Brazil with tracks like Ninguém, Ninguém and Um Beljo, before she returns to the exquisite-sounding Moon River and I Fall in Love too Easily. A beautiful album which finishes with a somewhat intrusive track, Little Something, a pop duet with Sting that doesn’t really fit in with Sunset in the Blue’s general mood. © Marc Zisman/Qobuz

Trumpeter Erik Truffaz's releases inspire excitement, debate, and concert attendance in Europe and Asia. Back in 2020, film director Marie-France Brière approached him about collaborating with her and composing music for a documentary film (Les îles de Napoléon). Following post-production and its entry on the competition circuit, Brière requested the trumpeter's quartet play a concert of themes from French cinema to close the Angoulême film festival. The band enjoyed the process and gig so much, trumpeter/producer Truffaz approached Blue Note -- his longtime label -- about releasing two albums of themes. Rollin' is the inaugural release, Clap is due at the end of the year. Bassist and co-producer Marcelo Giuliani and Truffaz -- the only remaining member of the trumpeter's quartet -- chose Rollin's personnel together: percussionist Raphaël Chassin, keyboardist Alexis Anérile, and guitarist Mathis Pascaud. Also included here are two vocal selections, "One Silver Dollar" sung by Camélia Jordana and "Cesar et Rosalie" delivered by actress and partner Sandrine Bonnaire.It opens with a tender, impressionistic read of Nino Rota's title theme "La Strada." With finger-plucked electric guitar strings introducing the changes, Truffaz, slowly offers the melody with minimal embellishment. The electric piano colors the space between as a minimal bass drones in the backdrop. "Route de Nuit" was composed by Michel Magne for George Lautner's comedy Les Tontons Flingueurs. The original tune is a I-IV-V surf boogie progression. Truffaz's band keeps the bluesy changes, but otherwise turns it inside-out to become a wooly, distorted, funky, guitar-and-trumpet-driven fusion jam. Magne also composed the dark, carnivalesque "Theme de Fantomas," rendered with pathos, counterpoint, noisy electric pianos and guitars, and a swinging snare and hi-hat shuffle. "One Silver Dollar" (sung by Marilyn Monroe in Otto Preminger's 1954 western River of No Return opposite Robert Mitchum) is delivered by Jordana with the same deadpan eros as the original. Pascaud's tremolo bar work is exceptional, and that goes double on John Barry's theme from the Persuaders TV series. Bonnaire's appears on the theme from "Cesar et Rosalie" was composed by Phillipe Sarde. Truffaz uses a stone mute in the intro before a rippling piano introduces the progression. Bonnaire enters halfway through, speaking dryly yet passionately from the script. There is a version of "Ascenseur Pour L'echafaud," the theme from Luis Bunuel's film of the same name -- Miles Davis and his band composed and recorded the music while watching the rushes. Truffaz's take is reverent but more mysterious. His trumpet is the narrator, probing and questioning amid the gorgeous yet tentative melody while Anérile's electric piano hovers in the margin, adorned by guitar and bass. Also beautifully and unexpectedly rendered is Ennio Morricone's title theme "Le Casse" (The Burglars). The lyric interplay between Pascaud and Giuliani behind Truffaz's elegant horn is resonant. Rollin' furthers Truffaz's well-established reputation as an innovator; his quartet manages to imbue each of these selections with bracing new elements yet remains completely faithful to their sources.© Thom Jurek /TiVo

Sonny & Cher, Jane Birkin & Serge Gainsbourg, Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood, Gram Parsons & Emmylou Harris, Les Paul & Mary Ford, She & Him... The history of popular music is full of mythical mixed duos. And here, a new tandem makes an entry greeted by a Qobuzissime! On one side, a gold-plated rock icon who occasionally comes out of his lair: Paul Simonon, ex-bassist of the Clash (that's him on the cover of London Calling!) and more recently member of The Good, The Bad And The Queen with Damon Albarn and the late Tony Allen. On the other, the folkeuse Galen Ayers, daughter of Kevin Ayers, the eccentric British co-founder of Soft Machine.The album that these two have just recorded is however light years away from their history-laden resumes. From the very first notes of Can We Do Tomorrow Another Day?, Galen & Paul play the troubadour card, the simple—not simplistic—walk between styles, landscapes and territories. Viscerally cosmopolitan and even European (they sing in English and Spanish, and talk about Paris), these ten tracks play it nonchalant with a street singer side. Mariachi fragrances, reggae sounds, the carefree Italian and French variety of the '60s—the concept of Galen & Paul is retro without being old-fashioned, funny without being potache, poetic without being cliché.The duo is supported by impeccable musicians (guitarist Simon Tong—another one of Simonon's The Good… bandmates, jazz drummer Seb Rochford and Dan Donovan on keyboards), and by Tony Visconti, Bowie's producer who is more used to "big sound" records. And then there is Damon Albarn who comes to blow in his melodica on some tracks. In 38 minutes, Galen & Paul take us around the world, a warm, benevolent, nostalgic elsewhere that feels good. © Marc Zisman/Qobuz

After her big band beginnings, resolutely anchored in traditional forms of jazz, followed by increasingly notable incursions towards soul, rhythm, blues and pop that describe an agile technique and holistic sense of entertainment, the singer Robin McKelle seems, in recent years, to have naturally returned to her first love. As proof, this magnificent new album is designed, as its name suggests, as a personal and impressionistic evocation of the inimitable vocal art of the brilliant Ella Fitzgerald. Unfussy and faithful to the text and the great standards immortalised by this icon of swing jazz, Robin McKelle showcases a mature mixture of humility and know-how as she deploys all the facets of her outstanding talent: a clear and irresistibly fresh timbre, supple and beautifully articulated phrasing gliding as close as possible to the melodic line with varying intensity, placement and rhythm of great musicality, and a constant emotional commitment offering personal interpretations of the song lyrics. Magnificently accompanied by a sumptuous trio, composed of the pianist Kenny Barron, double bassist Peter Washington, and drummer Kenny Washington, the record is imperial throughout, both in terms of elegance and expressiveness. Robin McKelle has not only put her name to her most touching and personal album to date but has put herself among the greatest real jazz singers of the present day. © Stéphane Ollivier/Qobuz 

One year after winning a Qobuzissime for his first Sibelius monograph, Klaus Mäkelä is back with the Orchestre de Paris for a programme devoted to Stravinsky's two stage masterpieces: The Rite of Spring and The Firebird. The Rite of Spring is perhaps best remembered for its chaotic premiere in May 1913, Paris, where it famously provoked a riot amongst the audience. Over time, this event has left its mark on history as one of the most notorious artistic scandals of the 20th century. It’s impossible to overlook this vital work today, and yet its canonisation has arguably caused its monstrous and archaic character to fade out of our collective memory.Somehow, Mäkelä manages to completely restore the cathartic dimension of the piece. From the meticulous choice of tempos to the contrasts between the different orchestral sections, every measure of the score is rich and invigorating. This young Finn is a true master, revealing himself as a conductor of rare sensitivity and incisive vision that commands with confidence. On the flipside, The Firebird is inspired by a Russian folk tale in which Ivan Tsarevich battles the demigod Kashchei. Under Mäkelä, it becomes a grandiose festival of light and sound; a ballet imbued with a visceral sense of urgency that keeps the listener captivated throughout. © Pierre Lamy/Qobuz

If you were Frank Sinatra's daughter and wanted a career in music, how would you go about stepping out of your father's shadow? After a couple of cutesy singles cut with the producer behind Annette Funicello records, Nancy Sinatra, Frank's oldest child found her groove as the kind of female badass rebel that her father likely adored: fashion influencer who brought miniskirts from Carnaby Street to America's Main Street; daring agitator who shared a rare interracial kiss with dad's pal Sammy Davis Jr. on national TV; Playboy cover star at age 54. It's the attitude and image that's given her career a lasting aura and made it influential for artists as diverse as Primal Scream, Morrissey and Lana Del Rey who has modestly referred to herself as a "Gangster Nancy Sinatra." As this well-curated compilation proves, Sinatra's most influential music comes from her '60s collaboration with oddball pop chameleon Lee Hazlewood. Although the pair's vaguely sensual duet on the still puzzling, hippie-cowboy epic, "Some Velvet Morning," earned them artistic credibility, the crowning achievement of their partnership and Sinatra's calling card was 1965's "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'"—a Hazlewood original that he originally intended to sing. Sinatra convinced him it needed a women's voice to turn it from a tale of spousal abuse to one of female empowerment. Her instincts proved prescient and her deadpan delivery and Hazlewood's snappy production style built around an unforgettable bass line birthed a defiant feminist '60s anthem. Other Sinatra/Hazlewood numbers included here are the fuzz guitar march, "Lightning's Girls," a tremolo-guitar led version of "Bang Bang" (Cher's first million selling single), and duets that charted with Hazlewood: "Summer Wine," "Jackson." The ace card in the Sinatra/Hazlewood union was using Los Angeles studio vets the Wrecking Crew as the backing band. With pros like Hal Blaine on drums, Al Casey, Glen Campbell and Larry Carlton on guitar and Carol Kaye on bass, it's all well-recorded and beautifully mixed music, solid and stylish, and brimming with a confident Angelino brand of white pop soul. © Robert Baird/Qobuz

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“My Paris is yours, spanning all eras.” From the very beginning of the liner notes for Destination Paris, cellist Gautier Capuçon makes a colorful declaration. A declaration of love for what is known as the City of Lights, the 22 tracks that make up this album are variations on Debussy, Brassens, and Rameau, among others. 22 tracks that have forged the musical identity of France over the past centuries, entrusted to the care of arranger Jérôme Ducros: "La Bohème" (Aznavour), "Un homme et une femme" (Francis Lai), "Belle" (Richard Cocciante)...up until “Pense à nous”, an unreleased song by Jean-Jacques Goldman, for whom Capuçon doesn’t try to hide his admiration. The showmanship of the selection can be a bit overwhelming at times, but this vibrant celebration of French music by one of the greatest cellists of our time is no less touching on account of its great sincerity. © Pierre Lamy/Qobuz

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Given that his parents are of American and Lebanese heritage and he's spent significant parts of his life in England and Italy, Mika could be seen as a citizen of the world. However, it's not surprising that France holds a special place in his heart. It's where he spent his earliest years, where he began writing songs and learned to play the piano, and where his albums consistently place in the Top Ten of the charts. That France has been so important to his life and career makes it somewhat remarkable that Mika waited until his sixth album to release a record of songs sung entirely in French, but Que ta tête fleurisse toujours is a loving tribute to his roots in more ways than one. He named the album for a phrase his mother often said to him while growing up ("may your head always bloom"). Though she passed in 2021, the music she inspired is more uplifting than mournful, with the tenderness of "30 Secondes" and "Passager" coming through clearly even to listeners who don't speak a word of French. He complements these pensive moments with pulsing ones like "C'est la Vie" and "Touche Touche," where the pounding pianos and synths, disco rhythms, and falsetto vocals are unmistakably Mika. He rounds out the album with some skillful homages to classic French pop, such the string-laden daydream of "Moi, Andy et Paris" and the stylishly bittersweet "Jane Birkin," a much more restrained celebrity homage than his breakthrough single "Grace Kelly." By Mika's usual standards, Que ta tête fleurisse toujours may be understated, but its delicate ballads and feather-light pop make it a patisserie-worthy confection.© Heather Phares /TiVo

An historical album if there is one, with its iconic cover photo. Conducting from the piano in Rhapsody in Blue, Leonard Bernstein manages to capture the lean vigor and impertinence that emanates from the work. He whips up a beefy orchestral contour while subtly jazzy, intensely inspired and romantic in feeling. The dynamic Suite An American in Paris is full of that energy that Bernstein used to know how to distil like no other did. Listen to the orchestra rip into the Charleston. These recordings, from 1958-59, are fabulous, and well worthy of their reference status. The famous West Side Story Symphonic Dances, and the Symphonic Suite "On the Waterfront" complete this album of American music bursting with infectious enthusiasm. © Qobuz