Some musical releases of the week

Among all the new albums released recently, here are a few that caught our attention.

Metz

The Ontario trio’s fifth album is their first in four years. Without having softened, Metz’s sound is less abrasive, his raw energy refined with each new release. Singer and guitarist Alex Edkins proudly qualifies the latest single Superior Mirage “new territory” for the group. The same could be said of a few other pieces. Note that Amber Webber and Owen Pallett contributed to Up on Gravity Hillwhich will be presented to the Montreal public on May 16 during a show at the Fairmount Theater.

Pascal LeBlanc, The Press

Punk rock

Up on Gravity Hill

Metz

Dine Alone Music

Marcus King

Produced by the most fortunate of barefooters, Rick Rubin, this silky third solo album from the six-string hero distances itself from spectacular guitar flights, but sometimes a little sterile, in favor of a country soul having no suddenly nothing to do with Stevie Ray Vaughan, and much more in common with the work of Curtis Mayfield or Al Green. With his powerful cracked voice, the bluesman from South Carolina sings of his unfortunate propensity to spoil his happiness for fear that he will run away, then occasionally draws his instrument, for the duration of a solo piercing the darkness from which he seems to have been a prisoner for a long time.

Dominic Tardif, The Press

Drunk

Mood Swings

Marcus King

Republic Records

Bodega

We can draw some parallels between Bodega and Arcade Fire. The first, obvious one, is the combination of male and female voices. Like the Montreal group, that of singer and guitarist Ben Hozie propels the majority of the songs, but Nikki Belfiglio brings a breath of fresh air to each of her appearances. Another similarity lies in the criticism of our consumer society which dominates the texts ofOur Brand Could Be Yr Lifeas was the case on Everything Now, from Arcade Fire. The sounds also recall the band that will probably never exist again, so if you were a fan, Bodega, who will be at Bar le Ritz PDB on April 20, could well fill a void.

Pascal LeBlanc, The Press

Indie rock

Our Brand Could Be Yr Life

Bodega

Chrysalis Records

Music for boards

The return of Malajube? As long as we can sing, as long as we can dance, as long as we can clap our hands, we will continue to dream of it. But until then, his drummer Francis Mineau gets back into the car of his youth on Golf 92, first album of his instrumental project Musique pour planks (his other solo project born in 2013, Oothèque, never saw a sequel). Somewhere between acid jazz, afrobeat and indie rock, these eight pieces topped with fabulously absurd titles (Yarsagumba, Wagadingdong) exude the pleasure of improvising between boyfriends – American saxophonist Michael Bjella shines on An American friend – and chasing the perfect groove all the way down the road.

Dominic Tardif, The Press

Instrumental music

Golf 92

Music for boards

Popop Records

Renounce

After Shadowreleased last year, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Frédéric Nogarède, aka Renonce, offers “a “the darkest sound outlet”, as mentioned in the press release sent to the media. Shadow is not a gentle caress for the ears, but this album is described as “more direct, more violent”. The protest can be felt and heard thanks to the aggressive percussions, the saturated synthesizers and the distorted guitars as well as the sarcastic, nihilistic and fatalistic lyrics delivered with detachment. Renonce begins his North American tour at Bar le Ritz PDB on April 25.

Pascal LeBlanc, The Press

Industrial electro

Noise

Renounce

Verboden