The Minute Hours | Les Heures Secondes
Humpty Dumpty Records / three:four, 2025
9/10
Listen to The Minute Hours | Les Heures Secondes
The 6th album from the Belgian solo artist Valérie Leclercq, as Half Asleep she relies heavily on guitars and piano for this diverse and unpredictable 10 track listen that recruits many guests.
“Mater” opens the record with intimate keys, as Oriane Leclercq’s breathy vocals enter the poetic climate, and “The Liberator” follows with Gwen Sainte-Rose’s soft cello and Claire Vailler’s eloquent pipes that create a cinematic quality.
Landing in the middle, “The Sun (Is A Blood Disorder” uses bari sax via Mathieu Lilin and trumpets thanks to Baptiste De Reymaeker and Maryline le Corre for a commanding presence, while “Midnight Seam” displays hypnotic keys that are complemented by Joachim Glaude’s field recordings.
Close to the end, “Car Sans Heures Ne Puys” places Vailler on autoharp amid Leclercq’s stirring acoustic guitar, and “Ah! Whence Is This? What Is This Severence?” finishes with Leclercq’s heartfelt keys and gentle voice guiding the folk tendencies.
Leclercq also embraces less obvious nods to 80s D.I.Y. post punk, Brazilian music and even free jazz, and with the addition of a choir on a few tracks, it makes for a unique and memorable body of work.
Travels well with: Ella Ronen- The Girl With No Skin; Alan Regardin- Ritual Tones