Selective listening | Our May Favorites

Thirteen years later The glass pathsKarkwa announced his comeback on Wednesday night with the song Perfect on screen then his video directed by Charles-Antoine Olivier and Xavier Bossé. This one features Quebec actress Pascale Bussières. Louis-Jean Cormier, Stéphane Bergeron (drums), François Lafontaine (keyboards), Julien Sagot (percussion) and Martin Lamontagne (bass) have concocted a powerful piece with a catchy crescendo melody which, combined with the clip, fills the heart of emotions. The poetry of Louis-Jean Cormier paints images of great clarity: “A long passage between two waves / Who seek to bite / She passes and slides with exploit / Just in time”. Quebec will have the scoop of Karkwa’s return on stage since the group will be there on September 8, the day of the album’s release. Sherbrooke (November 24), Saguenay (November 25), Montreal (November 30, 1^er and December 2) and Toronto (December 7) are the next stops.

Pascal LeBlanc, The Press

Two and a half years after the very beautiful EncounterBeyries is back a new song which is released simultaneously in its English version (What About Hiding) and French (Alone without you). In both cases, the singer-songwriter has worked with renowned collaborators, Aben Eubanks in English and Doriand in French, and the result in both languages ​​is a very wrapped folk pop song, a scintillating ode to freedom. and escape. Good news: now on the label with Audiogram, Beyries will launch an all-French album in 2024.

Josee Lapointe, The Press

When Quebec producer and DJ Kaytranada and then American rapper Aminé get together, what do you get? KaytrAminé, of course! The duet’s first single, titled 4EVA, already has nearly 9 million plays on Spotify since its release on April 7. The presence of Pharrell Williams on the chorus and behind the console – he co-produced the track with Kaytranada – certainly contributed to the success of the song, but from the first percussions, we are hooked. Then, three minutes later, you press “Back” and start again…forever, as Pharrell sings so well. The duo’s album, which promises to be perfect for the summer, is expected on May 12.

Pascal LeBlanc, The Press

Rescue marks the return of Alaclair Ensemble. Although Claude Bégin, KNLO, Eman, Ogden and Vlooper have remained busy musically over the past few years, they haven’t released music collectively since. America, vol. 2, in 2019. This meeting has a very specific objective, according to the press release that accompanies the song: “Responsible fathers who have decided to take charge of the rescue of this Quebec culture”. We will see the 1^er September, the day of the launch of the new album, if the group manages to accomplish its mission, but this first extract is encouraging. First, the beat of Vlooper is very well constructed: the western intro, the gradual superposition of elements, the brilliant mixing; hat ! Claude Bégin sings “The elephant is so big / There is a room inside” to open Rescue. The possible interpretations are numerous. Some passages of the verses that follow are also fun to decode. KNLO “I was wearing my seat belt / I was with my safe guy / We crashed the car / He was the one who managed it”. Eman: “You want squares, you have circles / What do you want, I tell you? / Geometry is to go out / The best of us”. Ogden: “The entourage scares people / So I try to surround myself well / Ladies I’m like a museum / You can look without touching”. Alaclair Ensemble has also announced shows in Quebec City on September 7, then in Montreal on September 29 and 30.

Pascal LeBlanc, The Press

Three years after his very nice first album Lost objects, Evelyne Brochu is back with a new piece that is less “French song” and ventures a lot on the side of pop and trance, with more enveloping arrangements. What has not changed, however: the actress who deeply moved us last fall in Pet still works with his friend Félix Dyotte, whose musical universe corresponds perfectly to his, both sensual and delicate. Evelyne Brochu takes advantage of the release ofAnother life to announce his second album, The dangercoming September 15.

Josee Lapointe, The Press

Nothing to do, we succumb once again to the charm of P’tit Belliveau. In addition to having launched this week its frankly nifty version of The 20 by Édith Butler, the very productive Acadian singer offers a new piece entitled Ej I went away. We find there his innate sense of catchy melody and his taste for simple pleasures, while he dreams of fleeing the constraints of life and disappearing, no matter where, with “not a reception bar” on his “phone even if his conscience reminds him that he must “think about the future”. Summery, happy, and as usual less light than it seems, here is a new earworm signed P’tit Belliveau, and that’s good.

Josee Lapointe, The Press

Montreal duo Chromeo, who have just given a seemingly breathtaking performance at the Coachella festival, offer Replacements, second extract from his next album, scheduled for the summer season. For this room groove contagious Patrick Gemayel, aka P-Thugg, and David Macklovitch, aka Dave 1, have called on British singer Elly Jackson, better known as La Roux. If you like, the beautiful funk of Words With Youlaunched last month, should please you as well.

Pascal LeBlanc, The Press

The Quebec chiller is doing us the trick again Tokebekicitte with this new song that revisits the codes of traditional song. Tomato sandwich is a powerful alloy of violin, brass and a huge choir of voices, which speaks of Quebec identity with a hip-hop attitude, a devastating humor and cultural references that jostle. The singer-songwriter, whose debut album The hierarchy was released five years ago, promises a new one for the fall. We tend to answer him… that it was time.

Josee Lapointe, The Press

Our (yes, yes, our) 2022 discovery, Alabaster DePlume, is back in our ears with a vibrant ode to life on this track announcing a short EP to be released in a few weeks. First original piece since the release of the acclaimed album Gold last spring, the saxophonist surrounded himself with his touring acolytes to offer the most energetic and explosive piece in his repertoire. If the artist’s instrument is always at the center of the work, there is also a very strong bass, as well as eclectic aerial sounds. Think of Kamasi Washington, a certain influence of the English artist.

Philippe Beauchemin, The Press

Aliocha Schneider offers a very sensitive and very sensual new song, with a gentle pop style. After two albums in English, the singer-songwriter also sings for a rare time in French, which announces a turn for his third album which will be released in the fall. Things are going well in France for Aliocha, who plays in the series Greek saladby Cédric Klapisch, sequel to the successful trilogy of The Spanish inn. It is besides the famous French director who directed the pretty clip ofbefore her.

Josee Lapointe, The Press

We now know a little more about what Half Moon Run’s next album has in store for us, which is announced for June 2. The trio has just released a new single, Alco, a song whose making began more than 10 years ago. The riff was composed on the ukulele by leader Devon Portielje during a trip to Thailand. If the band still ran into the arrangements in the development of the piece, they finally managed to finish Alco. The piece has a mystical aura, the percussions are omnipresent, while the strings captivate us as much as the harmonies of the three musicians. A new taste that makes you look forward to what’s next.

Marissa Groguhe, The Press