What to listen to through all the new music? Charles Laplante and Mélissa Pelletier of QUB musique point out 5 essentials!
Did you know that Rosie Valland was born with the first name Rose-Emmanuelle? At places of the magnificent – and heartbreaking – folk of his debut, the artist shines the spotlight on a pop universe even more assumed than on his last effort Blue (2020). So Emmanuelle, return to sources that we did not know: those before public life. In a great outburst of self-affirmation, feminism and even snubs towards the ill-intentioned souls that we guess in the corners of a few songs, Valland does not mince his words on a meticulously crafted pop. Even if waddling will surely be present during listening (thanks in particular to No thanks, Stirring up the dilemma), we recognize the artist in the calm and gentleness that run through the rooms. It is in a more restrained energy, and even a quiet strength, that the artist continues to flourish. (Melissa Pelletier)
Laurence Lafond-Beaulne and Camille Poliquin persist and sign a third album accompanied by the American producer Micah Jasper. Following a downtime imposed by the pandemic, the two artists are back, fully assuming an even more pop turn on which we find several small bombs. If the melodies are as sweet as one could wish, the whole is nevertheless very homogeneous and we have to go back several times before clearly identifying our favorites (here it is Whirlpool and Green Dot). Never mind, fans will certainly find their account since the recipe remains essentially the same. (Charles Laplante)
A year and a half after the release of their noisy Forever is NowRaphaëlle Chouinard, Sarah Dion and Lisandre Bourdages are back with a new offering entitled More is More. On this new effort, Les Shirley offer us a dose of catchy choruses and thunderous rock riffs that we can already imagine singing at the top of our lungs. Fans of the trio from the start, don’t worry: despite a cleaner production by Marie-Pierre Arthur and a few ballads, the girls don’t give up their punk side. The energy is still fiercely there! (Charles Laplante)
Since we miss the hours – Jeanne Laforest ****
Jeanne Laforest managed the feat of hanging on to us, and otherwise solid, from the powerful Rhino’s Wrath. The curtain opens on an album deliciously frenetic, like a nervous breakdown which would gain nothing with being tamed – musically, one gets along. Rock, pop, jazz, strings, choir… Why choose when everything is linked and serves the emotional, sometimes disturbing whole (as on The great whisper)? Laforest does particularly well with exploded views Tired and To see each other again. Solid first offering. (Melissa Pelletier)
Nostalgia – Skinshape ***1/2
Moments of plenitude are not far from this new effort by Skinshape, which always manages to offer us pieces with dreamlike airs, all as full of groove than unpredictable. No change of course for Will Dorey, who relies on his typical sounds between funk, pop and so many others to add well-dosed layers of textures and strings. You have to search to find the voice of the British artist, who nevertheless enriches the luminous Better Chances and the sweet dawn. very contemplative, Nostalgia manages however to find a beautiful dynamism on Bad Dreams. (Melissa Pelletier)
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