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Nov 12, 2019 Web Exclusive By Jimi Arundell

Parisian electro-pop pairing Loïc Fleury and Jules Pacotte (aka Isaac Delusion) are back with their third LP, uplifters, released on microqlima. Following on from their cult favorite self-titled 2014 debut album and their acclaimed sophomore record Rust and Gold, which dropped three years later; the duo have built a sizable international audience who stream half a million of their idiosyncratic fusion of lounge, funk, and electronica tracks on Spotify every month. Having set the bar high in terms of both quality and results, Isaac Delusion certainly do not disappoint with uplifters, which manages to be both a charming sophisticated dance album with tremendous commercial appeal whilst concealing some dark hidden depths.

It’s important to note that the title of both the album and each track are stylized without a capital letter, emphasizing the effortless cool that is a defining feature of Pacotte and Fleury’s third full-length. Uplifters starts with the deceptively chilled opening track “fancy,” which though initially appears cute and quirky, under greater analysis appears to be about a charismatic sociopath called Emily who, having already hurt the narrator, is now looking for her next unaware victim. The combination of gleaming synth pop and chic disco married with surreal and almost unsettling lyrics sets the tone for the rest of uplifters right off the bat. Second track “disorder” plunges even harder down the disco route, while “parrots” opts for the ultimate laid-back feel.

Having been so heavily Anglicized, you could easily be forgiven for forgetting that Isaac Delusion are French. That is until we get to “pas l’habitude” which, as you might have guessed, is sung in their native tongue and is the only time we hear it on the album unless you count wistful bonus track “couleur menthe à l eau” and that is a shame as it really adds a certain je ne sais quoi. “Pas l’habitude” is seamlessly written, and such perfect execution almost goes unnoticed owing to its own excellence.

I love a bit of dirty arpeggio synth and we have a hint of that on “it hurts.” The air of menace underlining pained vocals is a reminder of an ‘80s VHS horror film as currently being revisited by Stranger Things and would be a welcome addition to the playlist of a stylish Halloween party. “It hurts” is definitely a highlight on a near immaculate record, which is why it’s such a shame that it’s followed by “together.” It’s a song that not only feels like it was tacked on as a filler track, but the poor quality actually threatens to ruin the whole flow of uplifters by sounding like the whining unwelcome attentions from a creep that just won’t leave you alone. Fortunately, once we’ve managed to rid ourselves of that sex pest Isaac Delusion come back with a real banger in the form of “magicalove.” Stomping with confidence, the song is so disco it gives the impression that it has the power to instantly transform any given space, causing mirror balls to suddenly appear and the floor to begin rotating and flash to the beat. Be warned, if you’re not wearing a cape, flairs, and platform boots you will feel woefully underdressed whilst listening.

Having well and truly proven that “magicalove” is the drug, the duo begin the comedown and the eventual end of uplifters with the steely number “people you know” before moving on to glacial number ‘tell me how’ which glistens with icy perfection with the vocals descending with the gentle perfection of freshly laid midnight snow. Uplifters finally lands with “basement leisure,” ticking with a clockwork regularity before coming to an unassuming yet self-confident end. (www.facebook.com/IsaacDelusion/)

Author rating: 7/10