In terms of album releases, December is a slower month. That’s not to say there isn’t any quality music that comes out! Once again, we listened to everything and here are our monthly 5 albums you MUST listen to!
Le Band à Boivin – Atterrissage Forcé (Hard Rock)
Don’t judge a book by its cover they say. With its cover artwork depicting a man free-falling, I expected Atterrissage Forcé to be some kind of Indie Rock album. Boy, was I ready for a serious slap in the face! This record is one heavy rocker!
This is the second album from Le Band à Boivin, lead by singer-guitarist Marc-André Boivin. The album starts as a traditional rock album and, by the time Le Carnage kicks in, the band turns it up to 11! Everything becomes heavier: from Boivin’s powerful vocals to the guitars riffs, we even get into Metal territory.
Don’t expect some sex, drugs and rock & roll propaganda here. The album is full of very smart and touching lyrics. Like Le Syndrome. This is the album’s shining moment, a perfect guitar riff combined with a melodic lead and lyrics tackling the heavy subject of domestic violence.
Smart heavy rock to be played LOUD!!!
The band gets also gets emotional on Le plus fort des p’tits hommes, which deals with childhood cancer. With the guitar plugged in and the vocals effects added, it’s almost like the band wanted to protect themselves from getting choked up while performing the song. I truly hope one day the band releases a completely stripped-down version of this song with acoustic guitar and Boivin’s vocals only. I would be really into it!
Must. Listen. To.: Le Syndrome, Réécrire l’histoire, Le vide, Chanson pour Josée, Le Carnage.
St-Eugene – Suburb Lights (Indie Folk)
Following the success of their first album and especially the track Colorado, which is now past the million streams on Spotify, St-Eugene is back with their sophomore album Suburb Lights.
If you’re unfamiliar with St-Eugene, expect an airy, dreamy folk. It’s intimate and delicate, like a rising fog at the break of dawn. The album starts big with When we leave this world, the album’s most up-tempo track, which has some great lyrics about how the afterlife might affect the decisions you take. Lyrics such as “What would you say / If I told you we all end up on our own / When we leave this world”. A true highlight!
You’ll also fall in love instantly with songs like Overthinking, lifted by Jeffrey Pitton’s whispering vocals and its melancholic guitars. The band went big with this album and hired a string quartet. This really pays off on songs like An image in my head and it’s a sublime second half crescendo.
Downloads, CDs and Vinyls are available as well as on the the band’s Bandcamp.
Must. Listen. To.: When we leave this world, Overthinking, An image in my head, Fragments, If you decide to leave.
Steve Provost – Le grand 6 pieds (Folk)
Just a few days before Christmas, singer-songwriter Steve Provost gave us a gift of his own, a brand new record! A natural fit as his Trad-infused folk can easily be listened to during the holidays but all year long as well.
Six years was a long wait for Provost’s fans, but it was well worth it. The new album is made of some songs written by Provost and some covers of Québec’s most beloved repertoire, Blanche comme Neige and La Théière, to name a few. It’s filled with lots of acoustic guitar and violin, songs about love, family and booze. This is regional classic folk at its best!
There’s no weak track on the album, but the record’s tour de force would be the song Dans la mémoire longtemps. Provost adapts the well known classic with alternate lyrics and a melody. Given the popularity of the original and how it’s anchored into popular culture, to come up with a melody that is as good as the original is nothing short of incredible!
Get the album from Provost’s website here.
Must. Listen. To.: Dans la mémoire longtemps, Les amours se tassent, La théière, Paradis Perdu, Jamais ne meurt.
OB1 – La Nuit des Temps (Rap Queb)
With its stage name and album cover, one might think OB1 would be rapping about young padawans. That couldn’t be further from the truth, but still, like a warrior of light, the lyrics throughout La Nuit des Temps are positive.
With this new offering, OB1 hits the ball right out of the park! The beats are beautiful, dark and enigmatic. They are so good that the instrumental version of the album could have made it to our Top 5! When you add OB1 and his many guests’ (incl. Saye, T-Mo, Dan Broder and many more) lyrics and melodies, you end up with an album that can touch a fan of any genre.
Speaking of lyrics, there’s various references to religious imagery in a number of tracks (La nuit des temps, David contre Goliath, Délivre-nous du mal). Not like an apostle. More like a war veteran who’s been through hell and seen the worst side of mankind but still has hope in the future. For OB1, the redemption ultimately came from grabbing a mic, writing lyrics and staying focused.
We can be glad he did as we can now hold the gem that is La Nuit des Temps.
Must. Listen. To.: David contre Goliath, La Nuit des Temps, Délivre-nous du mal, Garde le Focus, Je me rappelle.
Soucy – Les Fables de Soucy (Electro-Pop)
After one album that saw him develop as a one-of-a-kind stage artist, Soucy is back with a second full length offering Les Fables de Soucy.
All the trademarks you loved about Soucy are back, from the catchy synths to the over-the-top chorus melodies. The album is lyrically smart and funny with some crazy liners. Like in the song Ta Yeule « Comme dans un moment d’hérésie, le pape qui lâche un gros “colisse !”, t’es comme un pauvre néo-nazi qui rêve d’une grande famille métisse…faque Ta yeule !”.
Although a bit harder to dance-spell out than the classic YMCA, the ultra-catchiness of Un peu d’humilité will see you screaming out loud its “H-U-M-I-L-I-T-É” to the bemused looks of people passing by. But who cares? Life’s a party after all, right? And trust us, you want Soucy to be leading the show!
Must. Listen. To.: Un peu d’humilité, Ta yeule, Le cave, No queria matar, Más, más, más (Mars ou Vénus).
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Francophone and Francophile, trying to bring Québec’s two solitudes together through cultural exchanges. Improv Actor for 15 years. Music lover, from New Age to Death Metal and everything in between.
