«Nobody else» but Françoise Hardy

Thursday melodies - Jonas Follonier

Françoise Hardy had not released an album for six years. And we didn't necessarily expect her to come out with one, given the health problems she had to endure, to the point of risking death. The singer is resurrected, and this element adds to the greatness of this artist whose class, elegance and charm no longer need to be proven. The legendary interpreter of Personal message or Time for love also has a voice that gives an idea of what angels must sound like.

So we listen to this new opus knowing that it will be a masterpiece. In such cases, as Alain Finkielkraut so aptly put it when speaking of literary classics, «we're not afraid that it will disappoint us, but that we'll disappoint it by not measuring up». Just the relationship between Françoise Hardy and Jacques Dutronc, who have loved each other so much but have lived their own lives for years without ever having divorced, is enough to generate emotion when reading the title. No one else.

There's no one better than Françoise Hardy to sing these ethereal, dreamlike melodies, which plunge us into a lucid sweetness, a serene sadness, as we take stock at the end of what has been a very successful life. Certain tracks stand out from the rest, of course: the eponymous song No one else, and, of course, the single Le large, whose clip, directed by François Ozon, is simply one of the most moving things to happen on this good old planet.

Other, less talked-about tracks are also worth a religious listen: Hide-and-seek, the opening title; A single gesture, in the wake of what it has been doing for many years; the resumption of Will you be there?, of obvious beauty; What a shame, a different and very interesting piece; Special train, with a modern, danceable orchestration. All of this is the result of finely honed arrangements and outstanding artistic direction, overseen by Eric Benzi, who also wrote the music for four tracks on the album.

It's so beautiful that it speaks for itself. Fifty-six years on All boys and girls, Françoise Hardy is still intoxicating us with her melancholy, perhaps for the last time. Let's make the most of it.

Write to the author : jonas.follonier@leregardlibre.com