The initial fame
Christophe Mae
garnered in 2005-2006 as an actor in the musical
Le Roi Soleil
, where he played
Philippe
, the brother of
Louis XIV
, was trumped by his subsequent venture into the French pop scene as a folk-pop singer/songwriter/guitarist. Though not technically his full-length solo debut album (that would be a more or less impossible to find independently released album called
Sa Danse Donne
),
Mon Paradis
was the first of his albums heard on a mass scale, and it proved tremendously popular, becoming the second best-selling French album of 2007 and spawning a series of hit singles, including the chart-topping lead single,
"On S'Attache."
Mae
is graced with a uniquely signature singing voice and an easygoing lilt in common with one of his most often cited influences,
Bob Marley
. These two characteristics above all others define
and are showcased best on
"On S'Attache,"
the aforementioned album opener. Thankfully, the material that follows (co-written by
with the help of
Michel Domisseck
,
Lionel Florence
Bruno Dandrimont
Jeff Oricelli
Olivier Schulteis
Pascal Obispo
, and
Jacquot
) is uniformly excellent, especially the first quarter of the album, including
"Mon Paradis,"
"Belle Demoiselle,"
and
"Parce Qu'on Sait Jamais"
as well as
Sequenced midway through the album is another highlight,
"C'est Ma Terre,"
a perfectly crafted pop song that opens with a little beatboxing before unfolding with backing vocals and a singalong chorus. Though four different writers are credited with penning
it doesn't sound overwrought. If anything, it sounds fine-tuned, as if
wrote the song himself and then sought input from a few of his hired hands, incorporating the finishing touches until he had a polished gem. Most of the latter half of
is credited solely to
, and while it's true these songs aren't as captivating as the earlier sequenced hit singles, the self-penned songs that fill much of the latter half of the album are impressive nonetheless. So while there's no doubt
is a capable songwriter, not only is he willing to collaborate with hired hands; it seems as if he benefits from the outside input. The production touches of
Volodia
benefit
as well. An industry veteran with a long track record of success,
gives the stripped-down folk-pop of
a thoroughly modern sheen, adding little touches (e.g., the opening beatbox of
the hand percussion of
"Spleen,"
lots of multi-tracked vocals) so that each song of
sounds unique and dynamic. Indeed,
is the rare folk-pop singer/songwriter/guitarist who can crash the gates and obtain commercial success internationally in the iPod age without forsaking any of his craftsmanship. It helps, of course, that
was able to build upon the initial fame he garnered in
, but there's no question
is the work of a talented young man who works well with others. ~ Jason Birchmeier