Raphaël - Hotel de l'univers (2000)

Young Frenchman Raphael Haroche, who performs under the name Raphael starting with this, his debut album, is not to be confused with the Spaniard Rafael Martos, who has been performing under the same name for much longer. The newer Raphael's willingness to risk a mix-up may not be as ill-advised as it seems, if only because his musical style is far different from the middle-of-the-road veteran to his south. Musically, this Raphael is less likely to be mistaken for his namesake than he is for another artist to his north; at times, the music of Hôtel de l'Univers is reminiscent of David Bowie, and Raphael sounds like he has a good familiarity with The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. The hard, yet melodic guitar rock may suggest Bowie, but as a singer Raphael is his own man, boasting an expressive tenor that emphasizes his emotional lyrics, sung, of course, in French, though they shouldn't tax a second-year high school French student in the U.S.; American or French, it seems to be teenagers Raphael is aiming at, and his first recording indicates that he will be able to find them without much trouble.