For those unaware, JJ Chardeau is an unclassifiable artist, prolific singer-songwriter, quirky art-pop dandy, the character is unique, atypical and intriguing.

The irreducible doesn’t give a damn about labels and for three decades has pursued his creative deliriums off the beaten track, at the antipodes of the marketing and trendy buzz.

His brand new studio album, and which is itself the second part of his rock opera ‘Magical Musical Man,’ is titled Ombres & Lumieres and features guest appearances from: Danny Seraphine and Jason Schef (Chicago), Mark Andes (Spirit), John McFee (Doobie Brothers), John Helliwell (Supertramp), Jerry Goodman (Mahavishnu), John Jorgensen (Hellcasters), Francis, Christian and Tristan Decamps (Ange), Pat Mastelotto (King Crimson), Eric Troyer (ELO and Dave Gregory (INXS).

1. Donibane Lohitzue
2. Eire
3. Iceland & Fire
4. Scandinavia
5. Sur Le Dam
6. Over The Channel
7. Belux Concerto
8. Swing Heil
9. Tyrol Canon Snow Dance
10. Clich Suisse
11. Lisbonne Is Dying
12. Reconquista
13. Seborga
14. Edossa Fakelaki

The new recording opens on the rhythmically-charged, almost strident Donibane Lohitzue and a dutiful, languishing ache found driving Eire forward, and they are backed by the impassioned guitar and string piece Iceland & Fire, veritably crystalline, latterly Celtic-hued Scandinavia, the flourishing Sur Le Dam, and then we get the ELO-esque harmonies of Over The Channel and the classically sumptuous, stirring Belux Concerto.

Along next is the playful rock-blues-pop sounds of Swing Heil and the profoundly sculpted Tyrol Canon Snow Dance and they are in turn backed by the Westernized Clich Suisse, the melodically-sung Lisbonne Is Dying, the at first Latin-imbibed, latterly uproarious Reconquista, the album rounding out on the atmospherically layered Seborga, and the Greek-hued Edossa Fakelaki (which, in Greek, translates to I paid a bribe).

Official Purchase Link

www.chardeau-officiel.com