Stephen Eicher has a new album,
Stephan Eicher*** Louanges (Virgin) In the early eighties, after his truly strange performances with Grauzone during the post-punk New German Wave period, Swiss pop vocalist Stephan Eicher went solo. He quickly replaced his up-tempo Euro-beats with a more subdued, yet melodious, mix of world music, chansons, folk and pop, winning him a solid following. His eighth, and latest CD, Louanges further secures his reputation as the Jacques Brel of the next century. An assortment of hopeful, daydream-evoking ditties, Eicher’s most recent work is consistent — the artist needn’t redefine his signature melancholy.