Jules Ahoi - Melancholic Dreamwave (2022) [Hi-Res]

Concentration on the essential, precision of expression: what Jules Ahoi succeeds in doing on "Melancholic Dreamwave" is the preliminary climax of his development as an author and composer, as a musician and singer.

Music has accompanied Jules since he was three years old. He learned piano, drums, guitar, rummaged through his parents' record collection with an alert spirit of discovery, and began writing his own songs quite early. Thanks to the reduction to what is absolutely necessary from an artistic point of view, "Melancholic Dreamwave" contains the essence that makes Jules Ahoi so special as an artist: compositions between classical songwriting and delightful experimentation; lyrics that are fed by his own experiences and adventures and become interesting for the listener because they deal with big topics that concern us all - and that in a coded and powerful enough way to pose riddles, trigger associations, initiate thought processes even on repeated listening.

The use of old 70s drum machines, which runs throughout the album, forms its musical backbone. "Melancholic Dreamwave" is not a concept album in the prog rock sense, but it does form a unit. Nothing happens here by chance. The fact that "U Bloom, Still" is followed by "To Make A Heart Beat," a potential hit with subtle pop appeal, is just as effective as the dramaturgy of the last third of the album. There, the record really picks up speed, especially with "Lost In The Light", a tribute to Ahoi's favorite band The Police, before it ends with the title track. "Melancholic Dreamwave" refers to the gyrations of thought that drag you down and prevent you from falling asleep. In keeping with the subject matter, Jules Ahoy has conceived the final song as a Stream of Consciousness, another example of the artful interplay between content and form. It's the final exclamation point on an album full of wonderful melodies and smart choices that is endlessly enjoyable to listen to and gives you plenty of food for discovery and thought. Over and over again.