This accomplished synth-pop record by Parisian Héloïse Letissier has been released in various guises, not least its Francophone debut of 2014. Revamped for the US last autumn, now out here, it is both old news and a welcome opportunity to praise Letissier’s stylish, empathetic songs: bilingual, sexually fluid, influenced by R&B, hip-hop and glitchy digitals. Tunes such as Saint Claude (now in English) flirt with surface while seeking (and delivering) chaleur humaine (aka the “human warmth” of the LP’s title). Perfume Genius now guests on the cloistered Jonathan, where a love affair can’t be acknowledged in daylight, and the minimal No Harm Is Done finds Pennsylvanian rapper Tunji Ige providing thoughtful counterpoint.
