From the third basement floor of the Tower of Song come eight numbers serenaded in Monsieur Leblanc’s virile French-tinted baritone; eight songs that flow in from different angles – echoes of an era when the word “Monsieur” was a title of respect that was earned. Similar in essence to the exhaustive list of accomplished songwriters he carefully takes cues from, Monsieur Leblanc deserves credits for pairing up with the right crew to create an album on which the equation of brilliance can be heard from the combined influences of dark Americana, French chanson, pulp novels, murder ballads and film noir. Monsieur Leblanc is a black tie that looks good undone; a detour on a cobblestone-covered street that runs parallel to the highways and byways of the New World. -Ralph Elawani