Jean Claude Vannier Releases New Song “Comme Les Enfants Savent Aimer”

Legendary composer, arranger and musician Jean Claude Vannier has shared a new track, “Comme Les Enfants Savent Aimer” (How Children Know to Love), from his forthcoming album Jean Claude Vannier et son orchestre de mandolines. The album, releasing on February 14, 2025, via Ipecac Recordings, marks Vannier’s first project dedicated to the mandolin.

In “Comme Les Enfants Savent Aimer,” Vannier channels the tender and whimsical memories of his childhood. Inspired by nights spent near a mandolin bandstand in Parc Montsouris, he explains, “All these memories led me to record this album with my mandolinist friend, Vincent Beer-Demander.” The track is a delicate interplay of mandolin and accordion, weaving a tapestry of wistful melodies and vivid emotion.

The album, translated as Jean Claude Vannier and His Mandolin Orchestra, is a musical score for a non-existent silent film. Each track tells a story, blending Vannier’s signature poeticism with inventive instrumentation. Collaborating with mandolin virtuoso Vincent Beer-Demander and accordionist Grégory Daltin, Vannier explores the mandolin’s sonic potential, from tremolo techniques to percussive string attacks.

Mike Patton of Ipecac Recordings, who previously worked with Vannier on 2019’s Corpse Flower, expressed admiration: “Jean Claude is a dear friend, mentor and a wonderfully gifted composer… His writing and arrangements have influenced an ocean of artists. To have worked with him is an unmitigated honor.”

Tracklist for Jean Claude Vannier et son orchestre de mandolines:

1. Moi, ma mandoline (Me, My Mandolin)
2. Comme les enfants savent aimer (How Children Know to Love)
3. La 2CV disparaît au coin de la rue (The 2CV Disappears Around the Corner)
4. Perdue dans la cité (Lost in the City)
5. Il y avait des éléphants (There Were Elephants)
6. À cause de mes problèmes (Because of My Troubles)
7. Une séance photo sous les arcades (A Photoshoot Under the Arcades)
8. Belle à pleurer (Beautiful Enough to Cry Over)
9. Danse des maillots de bain (Swimsuit Dance)
10. Nos regards se sont croisés (Our Eyes Crossed)
11. La 2CV rouillée (The Rusty 2CV)
12. Un petit bout de verre cassé (A Small Piece of Broken Glass)
13. Les feux arrière de l’ambulance (Ambulance Taillights)