Plusieurs lunes

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Now in her sixties, French pop veteran Véronique Sanson is arguably more popular than she has ever been in her decades-spanning career, having recently completed a two-year sold-out greatest-hits tour, scored an unexpected iTunes hit off the back of Ely et Lila's chart-topping cover version of "Chanson sur Ma Drole de Vie," and seen rap superstar Jay-Z sample one of her classic songs on his Obama tribute, "History." Released six years after achieving her first number one album with Longue Distance, her 14th studio effort, Plusieurs Lunes, suggests the revival is likely to remain in full swing. Co-produced by Dominique Bertram and Mehdi Benjelloun, its 14 tracks showcase an adventurous spirit lacking in many of her contemporaries, with convincing attempts at worldbeat ("Vols d'Horizons"), Gallic pop/rock ("Tout Depend d'Elle"), and jazz-blues ("Je Me Fous de Tout") sitting alongside the curiosities of the playful circus-themed "Si Toutes les Saisons," the a cappella interlude "Yayabo [aka Yayavo]," and the brief closing instrumental, "Aah…Enfin!" Elsewhere, the melancholic "Qu'on Me Pardonne" is a powerful and emotive nouvelle chanson that alludes to her troubled past, while "Say My Last Goodbye" is a touching duet with son Christopher Stills on a cover of a track from his 2005 self-titled sophomore outing, but it's her embrace of Latin music that proves to be the album's trump card, whether it's the half French/half Spanish-sung bossa nova of "La Nuit Se Fait Attendre," the flamenco-tinged lounge-pop of "Je Veux Être un Homme," or the seductive Latin funk of "Cliques-Claques." A confident comeback from an artist who is belatedly hitting her prime, Plusieurs Lunes is an impressive lesson in how to remain relevant while still growing older gracefully. ~ Jon O'Brien, Rovi