New album ‘En Route’ by swingin’ mademoiselle Caroline Lacaze
“En Route” is the stunning debut album of young soulful French chanteuse Caroline Lacaze, backed by The Mocambo Electric Sound Orchestra. It tells her story as a musical road trip, exploring a variety of sonic territories as this talented songstress guides us along this musical voyage.
The mixture on “En Route” is eclectic: nonchalant 60s beat, mysterious psych-pop, raucous funk and longing French chanson, all held together by the energetic raw soul sound and the skillful ‘mise-en-scene’ of The Mocambo Electric Sound Orchestra. Whether the mood is uplifting such as on “En Route Madame”, mysteriously sexy like “Minutes D’Insouciance”, melancholic like “Ici”, joyful as is “Laisse Tomber”, sombre like “Je Reste” or a shift up a gear from mere retro with a hot-rodded take on the Serge-Gainsbourg-penned Brigitte-Bardot-classic “Harley Davidson”, Caroline sings it with passion, energy and sincerity that is rarely heard of today. The Mocambo production team provide a musical background with expertise, as they have proven before on their collaborations with The Mighty Mocambos, Gizelle Smith, Kenny Dope, Afrika Bambaataa, The Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band and others.
“En Route” can be seen either as a simple battle cry (‘let’s go’) or as a reflection of life in exile and on the road. Caroline Lacaze’s songs capture all the facets of an exciting voyage, the joy and pain of being away from home, leaping straight forward – with an occasional look in the rear-view mirror.
“En Route” is available on Mocambo vinyl and Légère CD and digital formats.
