This new album from the French singer-songwriter is his first English language release and is filled with soulful songs.

This eighth album, Boogaerts (en anglais) is a warm but laid back collection that really highlights the poetic qualities of the singer’s songwriting skills.

From the laidback vibe of ‘Annie’ to the more quirky in style ‘Guy or Steel’, Boogaerts has certainly created a well constructed album that flows well from start to finish.

By incorporating different rhythms in an understated way, the whole vibe of the album has a really dreamy quality to it that is pleasing to hear. This can be heard on songs such as ‘Am I Crazy’ and ‘Your Smile’ that are simple and easy to listen to and yet filled with emotion.

Yet more than this, by writing and performing the songs in English, you really feel as though he is trying to reach out to the people around him (he has been living in London for nearly five years) and trying to connect with them. There is a touching heartfelt element to songs such as ‘You Like Me’ and ‘I Won’t Follow You’ that really stands out and make this album enjoyable to listen to.

This being said, there are moments when it feels as though some of the songs sound extremely familiar to each other. While this offers consistency in terms of quality and style, it would be great if Boogaerts could have offered a little more variety in terms of style – as given the quality shown here shows he could take his music in quite a few different directions.

Songs such as ‘Once Again’ and ‘The Price’ feel as though they could be developed further with more layers of sound to really make them standout even more.

However, as a whole this is an album that is really confident, delicate and heartfelt. The easygoing charm that comes through consistently, makes it an enjoyable listen that is ideal for lazy summer days.

By Emma Clarendon

Boogaerts (en anglais) will be released on the 26th February.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐