second mansions by le concorde feels like stained glass catching the morning light. it’s all luminous, intricate, and deeply human. after fourteen years away, stephen becker returns with music that glows with reverence and radiance.

crafted between los angeles and the scottish countryside with producer calum malcolm (prefab sprout, the blue nile), the record unfolds like a cathedral of sophistipop. and as the world’s biggest blue nile fans, we’re here for it. shimmering synths, orchestral flourishes, and guest turns from legends like pino palladino, paul jackson jr., and roger joseph manning jr. give it both grandeur and intimacy. it’s pop with a sacred heartbeat, and we love it.

inspired by st. teresa of avila’s interior castle, the album explores devotion, transformation, and grace in the everyday. from the angelic opener to the ecstatic heights of thérèse of lisieux, each track feels like a prayer set to melody.

it’s starts all luminous, with corpus christi, like candlelight through stained glass. with shimmering synths carry a jaunty but reverent vibe, it’s a fun opener with a giant of a chorus, setting the tone for the album.

taking a more relaxed vibe, morning by morning, comes across as a hymn disguised as a pop song. gentle synths and radiant melodies unfold the vision of a marriage blessed by angels, the mundane made miraculous. a soft dawn breaking over the album.

time ticking away, perhaps the most prefab sprout-influenced melody on the album, comes across all
shimmering, dreamlike, and stretching time itself. here, love feels outside the clock, floating between eternity and a tender embrace. it’s a really, really beautiful song.

the sound alone follows with such a restraint that makes you admire the pacing and space on this record. it really breathes out, all hushed synth textures, hidden meanings, a song of adoration wrapped in pop’s embrace. on this song, stephen says:

“Calum and I had a saying for what we were trying to achieve musically with this one, which goes
back to his days making records for The Blue Nile: “Grace, pace, and space.” I would like to
think we achieved that, but it’s for the listener to decide“

memorare follows up with Paul Jackson Jr, legendary jazz guitarist, and melds into a hymn-like song of devotion. it’s intricate, drenched in soul and a perfect mid-album banger.

standout banger – and our fave on the album – thérèse of lisieux is just the dreamiest melody, it’s
pure exhilaration. there’s joy rising from st. thérèse’s teachings and burning like fireworks off into pop’s neon sky.

we are the songs throws in a lush scritti politti-style synth, alongside meditation on the soul – unique, radiant, and eternal. it’s jewel-like, expansive, a celebration of every voice in the great choir.

it’s quickly followed by saint james, with jangle and grandeur, born on the camino – something i’m keen to do next year. a march through history, faith, and family lore, with echoes of battles fought and peace hard-won. it’s thunderous yet consoling, intimate and vast.

saint jude, which kicks the album back into action with jangly guitars dancing with synth trumpets, conjuring miracles and resilience, a message to keep going. there’s an immediate feeling to the track, but definitely one that deserves listen after listen.

thirty-four trillion watts has the best guitar riff on the album. the song explodes into a blaze of devotion. synths surge like electricity, and voices call out his name as mantra. it’s pop and prayer fused into light, and perhaps the big single of the album.

taking a turn for the darker, the devil is a mad dog on a chain introduces dark grooves and syncopated rhythms, restless and urgent. a fight against shadow and temptation, framed in bold percussion and luminous synths.

memorare, montserrat version (bonus track) is a radiant finale, lighter and less epic than the original, it’s still summery, ornate and shimmering. counterpoint synths weave around devotion, a tribute to music’s patron saint – both prayer and pop symphony.

second mansions is genuinely breathtaking achievement in it’s scale and intimacy: a record of faith, mystery, and melody, made with jeweller’s care. it glows with the grandeur of the 80s while sounding like today. we’re big fans.

thank u for making this le concorde ✨