Thirty-one years after beginning his recording career, French singer/songwriter Francis Cabrel shows no signs of slowing down nor resting on his laurels.
On Des Roses & Des Orties ("The Roses & The Nettles"), his first new offering in four years, Cabrel's writing has grown more economical and precise, even as his range of topics has grown vastly.
His voice remains rich and expressive, and hasn't lost a bit of its quiet, dignified power, and his guitar playing has reached virtuoso level.
Highlights here include the single version of "La Robe & L'echelle," "Le Cygne Blanc," "African Tour," and the nasty blues of "Madame N'aime Pas.".