Lyre

VINYL FORMAT. Vezelay is 30-year-old Matthieu Le Berre from France, and this dreamlike six-track EP is his debut release. Lyre simply and beautifully mixes stripped-down electro-pop with Le Berre's soft falsetto and on repeated listens reveals an austere depth and complexity. The EP opens with "Sedative," where vocals drift over soft arpeggios and a spacious kick drum. On "Demure," the beat is buried under a hazy structure, while a light guitar builds and shines alongside his light vocals. The opening chords of "Archetype" are reminiscent of Boards of Canada, building the track with harmonics and hip hop drums, as a vocal line is chopped and pitched into a rhythmic loop. "Lyre" is dreamy and dramatic, replete with whispered lyrics, string samples and a loping beat. "Homeboy" goes upbeat into a snappy kick drum and a big bassline, with Le Berre's chorused vocals and keys filling the space. The record finishes with the blanket-like slumber of "Coma," where crackles and oddly edited guitar play against helium vocals and airy synths.