I finally sat down with “Meet You In Notting Hill” on a quiet evening, and it felt like the right way to hear it. Julia Thomsen and Raphael Beaudon have put together something that doesn’t rush itself. The piano carries most of the emotional weight here, and you can tell Beaudon poured real feeling into every phrase. It’s tender without being heavy handed.
What struck me most was how the strings come in. Thomsen has a way of layering them so they never crowd the piano, they just wrap around it, adding warmth and a sense of place. You can almost picture the streets the title references, quiet corners, soft light, that kind of stillness.
This is their first time working together, but nothing about the record sounds tentative. The two of them seem to understand exactly when to hold back and when to let a melody breathe. Thomsen mentioned she usually leads on piano herself, so it’s interesting hearing her step into a supporting role and let Beaudon take that space. She says she was honored to add her touch to what he built, and honestly, that mutual respect comes through in the recording itself.
By the end, the piece leaves you sitting in silence for a moment before you reach for the next track. It’s the kind of song that rewards patience, one that unfolds slowly instead of announcing itself. A lovely start to what I hope becomes a longer collaboration between the two.
“Meet You In Notting Hill” is streaming now on all major platforms.