Artist: Frank Rabeyrolles Album: In Conversations Genre: Bedroom Pop, Dream Pop, Indie Release Date: February 14th, 2025
Frank Rabeyrolles has spent the past two decades quietly building a catalog that defies easy categorization. From his early work as Double U to the more stripped-down releases under his own name, he’s navigated a space between folk, ambient, and experimental pop, never fully settling into one genre. His latest album, In Conversations, continues that trajectory, embracing lo-fi textures and intimate songwriting while maintaining the atmospheric depth that has become his signature.
Built around acoustic guitars and subtle electronic textures, In Conversations doesn’t follow a clear blueprint. It shifts between moods, sometimes warm and inviting, other times distant and unsettling. The album’s lead single, “Picture of You,” is a prime example. The track moves at a slow, deliberate pace, but just when it feels like it might settle into a groove, a chord change or vocal inflection disrupts the calm. The result is music that feels both meditative and restless.
Rabeyrolles’ vocal delivery is a point of intrigue. He leans into a hushed, almost murmured style of singing, which gives the songs a dreamlike quality but also leaves them feeling slightly detached. At times, it works beautifully, as in “All Together,” where his voice melts into the ambient layers of sound. Other times, as on “Take Your Pain,” it feels like the words are just out of reach, obscured by their own softness.
There’s a through-line in In Conversations that ties it all together—a feeling of transience, of searching for something just beyond grasp. “Drive Around” introduces a subtle funkiness, reminiscent of Mac DeMarco’s Here Comes the Cowboy, but even its laid-back groove carries an underlying tension. “Some Day” strips things back even further, its lethargic pace reinforcing the melancholic weight of the lyrics.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about In Conversations is how it toys with the idea of “relaxing” music. On the surface, it has the slow tempos, soft edges, and muted colors of an easy listen, but there’s an unease lurking beneath it all. Maybe it’s the unpredictable chord changes, maybe it’s the restrained vocal delivery, or maybe it’s the lyrical themes of isolation and introspection. Whatever the case, Rabeyrolles has created an album that demands more than passive listening. It invites you into its world—but doesn’t promise comfort once you’re inside.
For those willing to engage with its murky, shifting moods, In Conversations is an absorbing experience. Rabeyrolles has once again found a way to make something that feels entirely his own. It may not be an album that reveals itself all at once, but that’s part of its quiet pull.
Check them out on socials:
This song and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating DA DA DA – Best New Music
We discovered this release via MusoSoup, as part of the artist’s promotional campaign.
