Fourteen years into her career, Melody Prochet has finally stopped trying to outrun the fog. On her fourth (and perhaps most essential) album, ‘Unclouded,’ the French architect of dream-pop has traded the maximalist clutter of her earlier psych-experiments for something far more dangerous: absolute clarity. Taking its title from Japanese animator and filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki’s plea to “see with eyes unclouded,” the record is a tutorial in restraint. Where previous efforts felt like being lost in a beautiful, neon-lit thicket, ‘Unclouded’ feels like waking up in a Japanese garden at dawn—everything is sharp, dew-kissed, and intentionally placed.
The secret weapon of ‘Unclouded’ isn’t just Prochet’s ethereal, siren-call vocals; it’s the backing band she has assembled. By recruiting Malcolm Catto (The Heliocentrics) on drums and Love Orsan (bass) and Daniel Ögren (guitar) of the Swedish soul-jazz outfit Dina Ögon, Prochet has anchored her airy melodies to a concrete foundation. Catto, in particular, is the album’s heartbeat. His rapid roll fills on tracks like “Eyes Closed” transform what could have been a standard psych-drift into a propulsive, Krautrock-tinged journey. On “Flowers Turn Into Gold,” his scattergun beats provide a gritty contrast to the sugar-spun strings, creating an exceptionally catchy nugget that feels complete despite its sub-two-minute runtime. While the record is light on time, it has a refreshing “in/out/done” approach that leaves the one reaching for the repeat button. “The House That Doesn’t Exist” is a cinematic opener that feels like sliding down a rabbit hole into a Baroque fairytale while “In The Stars” may be perhaps the most perfect pop song Prochet has ever penned—a honeyed, string-laden track that echoes the sophisticated songwriting of Burt Bacharach.
Standout “Memory Underground” channels a gyroscopic mind-bend proving that even in her more refined state, Prochet hasn’t lost her ability to conjure a freakout. While ‘Unclouded’ is not a radical departure for Prochet, it is a distillation. Yes, Prochet’s lyrics remain famously hard to decipher. They are more ethereal whispers that function more as an extra instrument than a narrative yet their emotional weight is clearer than ever. Themes of renewal and impermanence ripple through the record, bolstered by Reine Fiske’s sparkling guitar work and Sven Wunder’s opulent production. Admittedly, some might find the brevity or dreaminess a bit fleeting, but that is the nature of a reverie. It isn’t meant to overstay its welcome.
‘Unclouded’ is the kind of record you put on your best headphones in a dark room to remind yourself why you love high-fidelity sound. It is a graceful, unpretentious work that manages to be both a tranquil retreat and a rhythmic powerhouse. Melody Prochet has found the sweet spot between the trippy sprawl of Tame Impala and the organic warmth of 70s psych-pop. It is, quite simply, the sound of a vision finally coming into focus.
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