Selective listening | Our playlist, from The National to LUMIÈRE

Every month, our music journalists add about 20 songs to the playlist of The Press on Spotify. These recent titles can be found in our selection.

LIGHT, rockband

After a highly acclaimed debut album, FRIENDSAMOUR., LUMIÈRE – Étienne Côté, his real name – will be back in April with glam, a title that looks a lot like him, by the way! The flamboyant drummer of the group Bon Enfant gives a preview of this new album with a first song, rockband, which tells the story of a young musician who left the countryside to come and make music in the city. Inspired by the excess and lyricism of the 1970s, the whole thing sounds a lot like a song from a rock musical. Very appetizing for the future.

The National, Tropic Morning News

The good news: The National announces the release of an album on April 28, followed by a tour of Europe and the United States – no date in Canada is on the schedule at the moment. Title First Two Pages of Frankenstein, the ninth album by the American rock group contains 11 tracks and notable collaborations: Sufjan Stevens (on the opening track), Phoebe Bridgers (on two compositions) and Taylor Swift are the guests of Matt Berninger and the Dessner and Devendorf brothers. The group says that this disc will mark a musical turning point. Listening to simple Tropic Morning Newswe indeed discover some new electro elements, but we remain on familiar ground – for our greatest pleasure!

boygenius, $20

The supergroup formed by Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus presented itself in fine fashion in 2018 with an eponymous mini-album; we then discovered the strength of the texts of these three young lyricists with their already mature pen as well as their talent for the construction of catchy folk-rock compositions. Their respective projects working very well, one would have thought that the three artists would not do it again… But here it is: boygenius announces his return on March 31 with the album The Record. Listening to a few tracks already online – including la rageuse $20 –, we’ll find everything we liked about the first opus: intelligent pop, a sad folk-rock aura and sublime lyrics.

Peter Gabriel, Panopticom

The year 2023 will mark the great return of Peter Gabriel, whose age does not seem to affect the creative genius. The singer, who turns 73 in February, arrives this year with I/Ohis first collection of original songs since the excellent Up, launched in September 2002. Surrounded by his lifelong accomplices – bassist Tony Levin, guitarist David Rhodes and drummer Manu Katché – Gabriel served at the beginning of the year a superb appetizer with the piece Panopticomwhile waiting to go on tour in Europe in May.

Melissa Laveaux (feat. Pierre Lapointe), Balen

Mélissa Laveaux and Pierre Lapointe had already offered us a formidable duo two years ago, Noel Lougawou, which appears on the Quebec singer’s Christmas album. To continue this rich collaboration, the French-Canadian singer-songwriter of Haitian origin has decided to resume her song The whalewhich appears on his album Mama Forgot Her Name Was Miracle (2022), and to ask Pierre Lapointe to sing it with her, in French and in Creole. Their voices always harmonize as much, and the two singers lead us gently into this undulating nightmare-dream from which we do not want to leave. When will a complete album for two?

Black Belt Eagle Scout, nobody

In 2018, we fell in love with the opening track of the first album by multi-instrumentalist Katherine Paul: the hushed voice heard between the chords – in crescendo – of a very electric guitar, on the grandiose track Soft Stud, introduced us to the musical talent of a woman who grew up on the Swinomish Reservation in northwestern Washington State. The new room nobodyis – almost – of the same caliber and nicely announces the release of the queer singer’s third album, which bears the artist name Black Belt Eagle Scout, and will deal with the search for identity and the place of Native Americans in America.

Arthur H. titanic

The French singer-songwriter continues his musical explorations… by returning to a very classic formula. This second extract from the album Lifewhich will be released on February 17, is beautifully wrapped in a string arrangement – ​​it’s a far cry from its disco twist of a few years ago, although of course there are sounds of ondes Martenot and Cristal. Baschet who remind us that we are at Arthur H. titanic is an epic five-minute song that tells the story of a musician from the orchestra who plays to the end, a haunting piece carried by the singer’s emotional interpretation. Frankly beautiful.

Jeannot Bournival, Our ghosts

Jeannot Bournival is a shadow craftsman who, for 20 years, has been writing, composing, producing and arranging for others. But the one who is a close collaborator of Fred Pellerin and Tire le coyote will take center stage by launching a first album of songs in his name, With view on the sea, February 24. He unveiled a first song, Our ghosts, which is about a couple who have lost sight of each other, in a stripped down wrap that highlights his very embodied voice. Very attractive as a first meeting.

Foushee, Supernova

The American Fousheé, who has collaborated in recent years with big names such as Lil Wayne, Vince Staples or James Blake, has just released her very first long game, softCORE. The most recent extract from this disc at the junction of R&B, folk-rock, soul and pop demonstrates the way in which the singer-songwriter knows how to play with genres to create varied, always captivating sound atmospheres. . With Supernova, in just a minute and a half, Fousheé presents herself in the best possible way: she distorts her voice, plays with the rhythm, hits hard with a chorus that looks like a nursery rhyme, but with trap accents. An artist to discover.

Matt Holubowski, End Scene

Launched just before the pandemic, Matt Holuboswki’s previous album dates back to February 2020. The Montreal singer-songwriter is back with a new original song, End Scenea long hovering piece that stretches over more than six minutes and in which we happily find his airy voice. End Scene announces a new album, his fourth in his career, scheduled for release on March 24, 2023 and entitled Like Flowers on a Molten Lawn.

Calvin Love, Corridor of Dreams

In our opinion, Canadian singer Calvin Love is not getting the fame he deserves. His albums Night Songs and lavender cluster lo-fi alt-country pearls. Before diving into his discography to verify this assertion, we suggest that those who love The War on Drugs, Cass McCombs or even Kevin Morby listen to this piece by the Edmontonian, a cover of an obscure song written in 1982 by The Cleaners From Venus. The atmosphere that emanates from it sums up the essence of its offer in recent years.

Andy Shawf, Wasted on You

The very cool Canadian singer-songwriter Andy Shauf has just launched Wasted on You. We find there with pleasure this very particular way that the gifted multi-instrumentalist has of telling stories, his great talent as a melodist and his always surprising indie-folk arrangements. An album, titled Standardis scheduled for February 10, 2023.

Marilyn Leonard, She’s my lady

Marilyne Léonard launched her first album barely six months ago, but now she is already offering a new song. In the sensual She’s my lady, the young singer-songwriter does not take detours in the subject, and above all, she amalgamates with fire this mixture of soul and hip-hop which is already her signature. “Do you rap or sing/Trust me, it’s more stylish if I do both at the same time”. We can only agree, and look forward to the next album due in the spring.

fire at night, Childhood

Fire at night is a new power trio” composed of Simon Quevillon and Mathieu Denoncourt, two former members of Mille Monarques, as well as Francis Mineau, the drummer of Malajube. Feu la nuit has released a three-song EP that has everything to please music lovers who love the twists and turns of new wave and dream pop flights. It’s rare to have such rock density in French.

Willows, I always come back

Less than two years after his magnificent EP The Hills, Willows — Geneviève Toupin — offers a new original song, in French this time. The Franco-Manitoban singer-songwriter has once again collaborated with Joseph Marchand on the production of I always come back, a refined folk song that breathes the long road between Montreal and Manitoba. Which makes you very eager to find the bewitching voice of Geneviève Toupin, in her new album which will be released in March.

Gabrielle Shonk, How We Used to Be

It’s been a long time since we heard from Gabrielle Shonk, whose debut album dates back to 2017. The singer-songwriter makes a beautiful and gentle return with How We Used to Be, beautiful R & B ballad that talks about the end of a love. Carried by the rich and nuanced voice of the singer, composed with Jessy Caron and produced by Jesse Mac Cormack, this new song announces a second album to come in the winter of 2023.