There’s something beautifully backwards about Le Concorde’s latest single: it takes one of the oldest pilgrimages in the world and filters it through the polished lens of high-brow 90s pop and art-school romanticism. Built around the myth and geography of Saint James’s resting place in Santiago de Compostela, “Saint James” doesn’t just name-drop the cathedral — it breathes it in and sings it out with glittering synths, crisp drum loops, and a lyrical backbone that holds both reverence and playfulness. It’s like if Prefab Sprout had stopped mid-tour to hike the Camino.
Musically, this one shimmers. Co-produced by Calum Malcolm, it’s not shy about wearing its sophistication on its sleeve. We’ve got Roger Joseph Manning Jr. on keys, Ash Soan on drums, and Vinzenz Benjamin holding the low-end together like he’s closing a prayer book. It’s ornate but not fussy — think more stained glass than gold leaf. And lyrically, it swings between faith, awe, and that peculiar wonder you get when your feet are blistered but your heart’s wide open. “I had the initial inspiration for it on the streets of Compostela,” Stephen Becker says, “where his tomb is”. No better place to start an album.
Because this is more than just a single — it’s the cornerstone of “Second Mansions”, Becker’s first Le Concorde album in years, dropping September 2025. If “Saint James” is any clue, the full thing will be dripping with transatlantic elegance and emotional clarity. Even with all its grandeur, it still manages to sound like a friend humming a holy tune under their breath.
About Le Concorde:
Le Concorde isn’t a new name, but it’s one that keeps getting more interesting. The LA-based project, born from Stephen Becker’s UK-pop obsessions and razor-sharp songwriting instincts, originally burst onto the scene with help from players in Scritti Politti and The Psychedelic Furs. With Second Mansions, he seems to be building a whole new temple — one where 80s gloss, 90s sincerity, and 2025’s reflective weirdness all coexist.
Follow Le Concorde: