Jil Is Lucky - Off the Wall

So as far as being cool is concerned, you can count on this album! To all those who could – legitimately, I admit – reproach me for listening to down-in-the-mouth things, or even depressive things, if this time you aren’t happy with this one which is the very opposite then I don’t know what you need! Absolutely joyful. Just like there are "feel-good movies", there are "feel-good albums". With a mental health of solid steel, only this "Stupid Onion" barely can make you cry.

I’ve never really understood whether Jil Is Lucky was the name of a band, with Jil as its centre, or the project name of a solo guitarist-singer, accompanied by fabulous musicians, but I pronto got into.
10 years ago, his 1st album had some success, especially with the song chanson "The Wanderer", selected for a Kenzo advert. At that time his style was very Yiddish folk (but not only! see the epic "Hovering Machine"). What was next? A 120 degree turn with a psychedelic disco-pop 2nd album. Then a new 120 degree turn on the 3rd one, which was this time a futuristic French chanson concept-album. Disorientating. His fans got lost, including me. But after a 3rd 120 degree turn, here he is mathematically back to his folk starting point, for our pleasure, like the single "Out of Town" announced it.

This new disk is called Off the Wall. Nod to Michael Jackson? No idea. Is this album really off-the-wall, i.e. unusual, bizarre, quirky? Let’s see.

Still beautiful and clear, the voice navigates at ease everywhere every time, with no asperity. And with an irreproachable accent, which is noticeable nowadays.
Add to this female backing vocals, a few Chicano trumpets... You travel.

Light and sunny reggae, bass guitar rocking, phoned voice: Jil has revised some Manu Chao. And Mac Demarco isn’t far away either ("My Kind of Girl").
And when the artist from Nice embarks upon an arpeggio on his acoustic guitar, with his doubled voice, a kind of Simon and Garfunkel tune is hovering ("Homebound").

The words are simple and sketch a few heartaches, couple relationship, road, a person stuck in a period ("My Past is Gold"), eternal cycle ("All Over Again"), place of humans in the world ("Who We Are").
But no hassle, this album spurs to lazing about. Best listen while dabbling your toes. So cool.