Selective listening | Arielle Soucy, zouz and Naya Ali

Every week, our music journalists add songs to the playlist of The Press on Spotify. Here are three recent tracks that are in our selection.

Listen to songs from our playlist

Arielle Soucy, Beautiful Sights

The brilliant singer-songwriter Arielle Soucy, revealed last year with her album There is nothing I am notgave us a beautiful gift this week by releasing two new songs on the theme of hope. With Future Is Bright And Beautiful SightsArielle Soucy moves away slightly from her pastoral folk by adding drum machines and synths, but her essence remains the same: we recognize her well with her soft introspections, her sought-after melodies and her fabulous vocal harmonies. A pleasant double that we can listen to on repeat, and which marries perfectly with the melancholy of the month of August.

Josée Lapointe, The Press

zouz, Sober

Three big names form this power trio Quebec rock music: David Marchand, from Mon Doux Saigneur, Francis Ledoux, who accompanies Klô Pelgag, and Étienne Dupré, known for his work with Jesse Mac Cormack. Under the name Zouz, they set their instruments on fire – figuratively, of course – and explore heavy rock sounds – oh yes! –, with a hint of stoner in the guitars. Like here, on Sobera masterful piece in its brutality, its desire to see the sound barrier explode. The words – shouted – of David Marchand still resonate in our ears, he who can clearly no longer stand the absurdity of his contemporaries… when he is sober: “But unbearable are the desires / At a spark of a fire / Sober / When I stay sober!”

Philippe Beauchemin, The Press

Naya Ali, Life

Newly recruited by the Bonsound label, Naya Ali is no novice. The Montreal rapper of Ethiopian origin first got noticed in 2018 with the microalbum Higher Self. Since then, she has launched Godspeeda two-part album that toured all over the world and featured contributions from Marie-Mai, Izzy-S, Gabrielle Shonk and Connaisseur Ticaso, among others. She marks her arrival at Bonsound with the release of Lifea song full of optimism and joie de vivre. The Afrobeat rhythm with pop accents is by Kevin Figs and suits the message of Naya Ali, who here swaps her precise rap for a relaxed song. The video was filmed in Addis Ababa, the artist’s hometown.

Pascal LeBlanc, The Press