Get ready to meet your new crush – Claude Fontaine. Her debut self-titled album is one of the best world music records so far this year, combining reggae, dub, and bossa nova with Fontaine’s lovely voice behind a knock-out backing band including gents who have worked with Miles Davis, Ziggy Marley, and Steel Pulse.
The opening track, “Cry for Another,” is a heartfelt reggae cut about longing. The bass riff alone will make you move. “Hot Tears” has Fontaine singing about being alone and waiting for a call from her lover that she knows in her heart will never come. “Hot tears in my coffee, cold sheets in my bed. If he really loved me, he’d be here instead,” she sings in a voice so lovely that you and everyone else who hears this track will agree that this guy’s an idiot. “Little Sister” brings up the raga tempo (Seriously, the groove is outstanding.) and has Fontaine warning her sister / friend that the guy she’s falling for is a faker.
The horn section is a great addition to the smooth reggae beats (by legendary drummer Airto Moreira) on “Love Street.” The breakdown on it slides you into a dub-fueled sexy dream. Fontaine sings about finding love with someone for whom she’s pined for a long while – perhaps the subject of “Hot Tears.” “Play by Play” keeps the dub touches, and Fontaine’s voice is perfect for the psychedelic, trippy touches of dub music. She’s almost a ghost you keep trying to catch, but she always playfully slips away before you can grab her.
The album moves into bossa nova territory on “Pretending He Was You” – one of my favorite singles of the year so far. It blends Fontaine’s sad lyrics with tropical bird sounds, simple hand percussion, and classic Brazilian guitar strumming. “I’ll Play the Fool” is just as good, with Fontaine telling her lover not to worry about the “how’s” and “why’s” of their relationship and that she’s willing to be the silly one who embraces life if he won’t.
The soft percussion on “Strings of Your Guitar” is outstanding, and I’m pretty sure Fontaine’s lyrics are about wishing her lover would treat her with the same care as his instrument. #swoon. “Footprints in the Sand” is a heartbreaking ballad about a lover who has walked out on Fontaine. “Footprints left in the sand are all I have,” she sings, knowing that even her memories of him will fade in time. If you aren’t completely under her spell by the time you reach the closer, “Our Last Goodbye,” you might want to consider seeing a psychiatrist because you are probably an emotionless sociopath. Fontaine’s vocals about parting too soon from a lover make you want to buy her a glass of wine and just sit with her to watch the sunset.
Ms. Fontaine’s debut is a gorgeous record, and easily the most beautiful work I’ve heard so far this year. Don’t sleep on her (as the kids say). You need these songs more than you might realize.
Keep your mind open.
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