The Reed Conservation Society has chosen to navigate the potentially tricky hurdle of the second album without dwelling too much on it, or at least to forget about it, as is best done when embarking on long voyages far beyond the horizon. Released in 2024, La société de sauvegarde du roseau (The Reed Conservation Society), the Parisian group's first full-length album, was already a challenge in itself: offering a completely French-language record after having made a name for themselves with a trilogy of English-language EPs. The reverse is true with Sing a Song that Never Ends, a return to English, as its name suggests. What's new is that TRCS is no longer simply a duo comprised of Stéphane Auzenet (vocals, guitar, songwriting) and Mathieu Blanc (trumpet, guitar, arrangements): the regular presence of Cédric Bermond on drums and Nicolas Pain on bass in concert naturally led to their full integration into the group, as well as the decision to record together in the same room for the first time. Seeking "a more organic, instinctive, and natural sound," as Stéphane writes in the liner notes, he was able to rely on the invaluable assistance of Yann Arnaud (whom he crossed paths with Verone a long time ago, is known for his work with Air, and more recently with Orwell and Syd Matters) for both the mixing and the recording. While Elon Catan also directed the first music video (The Kruize after Pylônes), The Reed continues its healthy habit of featuring guest artists, here Natasha Penot (of The Apartments fame) who duets with Stéphane on this single. One might not immediately guess how much Pavement influences it, a clear reference both on this track and on the joyful and lighthearted Goldfish. Not displeased that the album includes a few songs with a slightly faster tempo, Mathieu observes that "Stéphane's compositions are becoming increasingly accomplished, with richer chords and more complex harmonies, but you don't necessarily realize it; that's often a sign of success!" Auzenet's songwriting undoubtedly owes much to a discreet erudition, a love of pop in all its forms that allows one to identify a number of commendable influences in TRCS, without any one of them ever truly dominating. Even that of his "lucky charm," Sufjan Stevens, legitimately claimed on If I Could Change Myself into Water (with its deliberately long title) or on Whistle in the Tree and its sumptuous strings. From the opening track, I Keep the Thorns Right in My Chest, depending on one's background and age, you'll be transported to the California of Fleetwood Mac's US version, or to Air from The Virgin Suicides, or even behind the Ferrari from the video game Out Run (!). The love story told there serves primarily as a pretext for a cinematic track where, on a solo for once, Mathieu's sunny trumpet works wonders. And while we also travel in the footsteps of David Lynch in Washington State (Bucky Jay), explore the tragic fates of some pop culture figures in New Orleans (All the Stars Fall Asleep), and fantasize about a certain idea of ​​American culture with Elvis Has Left the Building, much like we projected ourselves onto stories of gold prospectors in the first album (Le tamis), it is sometimes with English musicians that the journey truly comes into its own, in this case with the voice of Rosie Brown and the guitar of Bernd Rest, both hailing from Brighton. For this album is like a vast bridge between continents. The three-part escape of Modesty of Heart draws its inspiration from the Kinks' Muswell Hillbillies, a band then open to American influences, despite its cover based on a photograph of people in a London pub (The Archway Tavern): it still exists, Stéphane went there, and, as often happens, imagined a love story, or rather potential love stories, with an outcome less certain than the narrator's solitude. In terms of form, I Wish You Were Much More than an Affair also draws on US musical culture with backing vocals reminiscent of Crosby, Stills & Nash or even the Eagles, but its stripped-down folk production also serves to open another bridge: that of a more acoustic album, which we'll discuss again soon, recorded solo by Stéphane Auzenet. He is not alone; on the contrary, on Sing a Song that Never Ends, their second full-length album, the core members of The Reed Conservation Society, now a quartet, can count on new reinforcements (Florian Robin on keyboards) or loyal ones, whether they are musicians or not: Emma ‘Blumi’ Broughton and Vincent Mougel back on backing vocals, the string ensemble seen in some sumptuous concerts as a large group, and Philippe Dufour behind the camera. It is “a team album, an album of encounters,” as Stéphane Auzenet writes in the liner notes, which we also invite you to discover, emphasizing how "inspiration came from everywhere: literature, film, current events, and encounters." So there's no need to go to the other side of the world (although Finistère is a bit like that): the simplicity, the almost candor of Sainte Marine, reflects quite well what makes The Reed Conservation Society so charming. On the album artwork, created by Stéphane Auzenet's grown children (who still doesn't look his age), every element, every little clue has found its place, with effortless simplicity. A team effort, a family affair, then. A large and welcoming clan, inviting you to embark on this journey, whether for the first time or again, to find your place, to make this new voyage without even thinking about it, without noticing the time passing…