For Bravura, horn player Louis-Pierre Bergeron and pianist Meagan Milatz draw their inspiration from Beethoven. His "Sonata for Horn and Piano in F Major, Op. 17" (1800) is the first true sonata for horn and piano in the history of music and is the central work on this album. This masterpiece is accompanied by pieces for natural horn and fortepiano by Vincenzo Righini (1756-1812), Cipriani Potter (1792-1871), Franz Xaver Süssmayr (1766-1803) and Nikolaus Freiherr Von Krufft (1779-1818). Bergeron is the fourth horn of the National Arts Centre Orchestra, having performed with the OSM, Orchestre Métropolitain and Orchestre symphonique de Trois-Rivières. He also collaborates regularly with Les Violons du Roy. As for Milatz, she is the winner of numerous competitions and appears as soloist with orchestras across Canada, including the McGill Symphony Orchestra. (February 2024 Featured New Artist)

A true progressive and art rock legend, Peter Gabriel finally presents his first album in 21 years. Each of the 12 tracks on I/O were released as singles during 2023 in two versions: Bright and Dark. Gabriel even went on tour before the album's release. The album therefore features both the Bright and Dark sides, containing the same 12 tracks. It is in the context of the album that each song takes on its full meaning, while there is a certain cohesion between them (despite frequent stylistic changes). The songs alternate between an atmospheric tendency reminiscent of the Genesis of the good years, and a more danceable pop side strongly influenced by the 1980s. In a way, the album is a logical follow-up to Up, his last studio album of original songs, released in 2002. On I/O, Gabriel offers music that demands some efforts, but rewards us greatly with its depth. (January 2024 Featured Review)

Zoe Wees is a German adult pop singer with R&B influences. She made a name for herself around the world with the hit "Control" in 2019, then later with "Girls Like Us" in 2021, both appearing on this debut album. Her powerful, touching voice enables her to deliver emotional ballads and mid-tempo songs that reach right to the heart. In addition to her first hits, Therapy features her duet with 6LACK, "That's How It Goes", "Lightning", "Daddy's Eyes", "Don't Give Up", "Third Wheel" and "Hold Me Like You Used To". The album features no fewer than 20 tracks, totalling almost 60 minutes. There are a few tracks that are a little less interesting or repetitive, but the whole proves to be extremely solid, very effective in showcasing Zoe's talent as a singer.

Music Videos: « Control » - « Girls Like Us » - « That’s How It Goes » - « Hold Me Like You Used To » - « Daddy’s Eyes » - « Lightning »

When nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022, Dolly Parton initially refused, claiming she wasn't a rock 'n' roll singer. She finally accepted her induction, promising in return to produce her first rock album. Since the queen of country music never does things by halves, here is Rockstar, a double album of 30 rock tracks mixing original songs and covers. On her 49th career album, the 77-year-old singer, who has lost none of her voice, performs duets with numerous artists, including Sting on the excellent "Every Breath You Take", Elton John on "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" (one of the best on the record), Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, Ann Wilson (Heart), Rob Halford (Judas Priest), Steven Tyler (Aerosmith), Debbie Harry (Blondie), Simon Le Bon (Duran Duran), Kid Rock, Stevie Nicks, Peter Frampton, Melissa Etheridge, Pat Benatar, Chris Stapleton, Miley Cyrus, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr on The Beatles' "Let It Be", P!nk and Brandi Carlile on The Rolling Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction", and several others. Many of the covers are far too similar to the original to be of any real interest, apart from Dolly's unique voice, which is often the song's only distinguishing feature. She does, however, cause a surprise on a few occasions, notably when we hear the first notes of Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven". We can only wait for what’s coming next, when she is accompanied by Lizzo and Sasha Flute, but we won't be bowled over by her version. Her cover of Prince's "Purple Rain" is also unexceptional, unaffecting and somewhat pointless. Dolly touches on blues rock, pop rock and, of course, country rock. The original songs don't particularly stand out, and often sound like rock songs from the 1990s. Dolly Parton doesn't take herself too seriously throughout the album, and you get the feeling that she made this project to enjoy herself first and foremost. Certainly, with over 140 minutes of music, the whole thing could have been tightened up quite a bit to keep only the best of it. But Dolly wanted to go all out with her rock trip, and we can only congratulate her on her audacity. What's more, it's her biggest career hit on the Billboard 200. (December 2023 Featured Review)

Junk Kook is best known as one of the members of the K-pop boy band BTS. The 26-year-old South Korean singer-songwriter has just released his debut album, which is distributed worldwide. With Golden, he proves that he has perhaps the greatest potential of any member of the band to make a real breakthrough as a solo artist. His pop music is highly effective, with funky or R&B beats and unforgettable melodies. And unlike many K-pop artists, he presents it all in English, which will undoubtedly facilitate his breakthrough in many world markets. Kook can count on renowned producers such as BloodPop, Diplo, Andrew Watt and Cirkut, as well as songwriters like Shawn Mendes and Ed Sheeran. Also featured are rapper Jack Harlow on the fun-loving "3D", Major Lazer on the sensual "Closer to You", DJ Snake on the danceable electronic anthem "Please Don't Change", and Latto on the chart-topping, record-breaking "Seven" (the edited version is also included). Everything is in place to make Jung Kook an international star, who has nothing to envy Justin Timberlake, Justin Bieber or Harry Styles. His catchy R&B songs are highly effective, as is his pleasant voice. Only the more haunting ballads can sometimes be boring (it's not easy to write good ballads), but the whole remains solid and no doubt we'll be hearing from Jung Kook for a long time to come. (December 2023 Featured New Artist)

Kylie is at her best when presenting upbeat, danceable music, and that's what she delivers on Tension. The first single, "Padam Padam", starts things off lightly and sets the table for the next 10 tracks, tailor-made for dance floors. The Australian hits the spot with the title track, "Hold on to Now" and the excellent "10 Out of 10", featuring Oliver Heldens. Tension features some of her catchiest choruses in a long time, real earworms. Influences from the 1980s can be heard, but it's mostly the 1990s that serve as the foundation for Kylie's thoroughly modernized music. Considering that her career dates to the mid-1980s, it's particularly impressive to see how well Kylie Minogue manages to keep up with the times. So, here's another great record from Australia's queen of pop! (November 2023 Featured Review)

Music Videos: « Padam Padam » - « Tension »

Born in Montreal under the name Briannah Donolo, Rêve is now based in Toronto. Her electronic dance music is tailor-made for both dance floors and pop radio. "CTRL + ALT + DEL" with Banx & Ranx helped her become a superstar, as well as earning her a Juno Award in 2023. "Tongue" and "Whitney" also conquered the pop world, and all these hits are included on Saturn Return, her debut full-length album. Also included are the highly effective "Big Boom" and "Hypersexual". In fact, there are few uninteresting moments to be found on Saturn Return, which offers quality dance pop music. (November 2023 Featured New Artist)

Music Videos: « CTRL + ALT + DEL » - « Whitney » - « Tongue »

After a career spanning more than 20 years, London duo The Kills finally arrive with their sixth album, seven years after Ash & Ice, perhaps their weakest. Alison Mosshart and Jamie Hince's God Games is a great, creative and varied album. Co-produced with Paul Epworth, the album presents a rich, highly contemporary sound, in contrast to their more minimalist reputation. As usual, the explosive duo has no shortage of drama ("New York"), as well as returning to the past with a revival of the 1980’s Sunset Strip in Los Angeles (the apocalyptic love song "103"). The Kills also know how to be more introspective, as in the trip hop and ambient mix of the title track. Alison seems to be at the top of her game, demonstrating the full richness of her voice on several occasions, notably on "Love and Tenderness" and "Going to Heaven". God Games is their first album composed mainly with keyboards rather than guitar, a change that yields brilliant results. (November 2023)

Only 20 years old, Olivia Rodrigo is already offering her second album with GUTS, following the surprising Sour released two years ago. On this new record, Olivia reprises the elements that made her debut album such a success, while avoiding many of the pitfalls of a sophomore recording. She works again with producer Daniel Nigro in the same studio/garage. Then she delves a little deeper into the soul ballads and pop punk anthems that attracted so much attention on Sour. On "Bad Idea, Right?" Olivia is deliberately imperfect, while "All-American Bitch" moves swiftly from introspective folk to raging punk. However, the contrasts between her various musical explorations seem less stark, perhaps because there is simply less surprise on this second record. Olivia manages to avoid extremes with an album that is neither too raw nor too polished. As a result, the album is a delight to listen to from start to finish and has no weak moments. (October 2023 Featured Review)

Music Videos: « Vampire » - « Bad Idea, Right? » - « Get Him Back! »

After working with a number of artists, including Ariana Grande, and releasing an EP in 2020 entitled Jaguar, Victoria Monét finally arrives with her debut full-length album. She considers Jaguar II to be Jaguar's big sister. With its 11 tracks, the album offers a greater insight into her talent, both as a songwriter and as an R&B singer with an exceptional voice. Her inspiration comes mainly from the cinematic soul music of the 1970s, with a touch of funk, disco and dancehall ("Party Girls" with Buju Banton). Victoria's debut album is extremely solid, and a joy to listen to from start to finish. (October 2023 Featured New Artist)

Music Videos: « Smoke » - « Party Girls » - « On My Mama »

After the album Chansons pour durer toujours 10 years ago, which featured 12 great Quebec French songs revisited in jazz versions, Caroline Nadeau returns with an album for English-speaking audiences. She offers 10 songs from the Canadian repertoire, starting with Bachman-Turner Overdrive’s "Takin' Care of Business". There are also songs by Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Gordon Lightfoot, Alannah Myles, K.D. Lang, Shania Twain, Leonard Cohen and Gino Vannelli. All these Canadian classics are arranged by Vincent Morel (director and arranger of the vocal jazz ensemble Bémol 9, of which Caroline has been a member for 27 years), Karl Surprenant (her double bassist) and John Sadowy (her pianist). The pieces now take on blues, jazz, bossa nova, gospel and pop accents, shedding new light on these immortal songs. (October 2023)

Two years after the excellent Phoenix, Montrealer Charlotte Cardin is back with a second album. 99 Nights continues the singer's path of pop experimentation but is a little more personal. Once again, she offers an excellent mix of upbeat, electro-pop songs, tailor-made for radio, and more intimate pop pieces, sometimes flirting with soul and R&B. She exorcises her accumulated sorrows, and seems more in her element than ever, as if she's discovered her very own style. Her manager and friend Jason Brando, with whom she has always co-written, contributes to just about every song. Charlotte also collaborates with Lubalin, Mathieu Sénéchal, Aliosha (her partner) and Patrick Watson on word choice. She has also enlisted the help of international producers such as Sam Avant, Rob Grimaldi, Jorgen Odegard and DFA. Also of note is a duet with Montreal rapper Skiifall for "Enfer". "Confetti" is already a confirmed hit around the world, and other tracks are sure to stand out: "Jim Carrey" (in which she declares her love for the famous actor), "Looping", "Next to You" and the title track. The other songs round out the 12-track set, which is coherent and enjoyable from start to finish. Mission accomplished for this sophomore album! (September 2023 Featured Review)

Cian Ducrot is an Irish singer-songwriter with a background in classical music. He first came to prominence at the blind auditions for the UK version of The Voice in 2016, before becoming a social media phenomenon. He began sharing his first original songs in 2018 before releasing his debut independent album in 2020, containing a collection of his first intimate pop songs. He made his major label debut in 2021 with the song "Not Usually Like This", included on the Make Believe EP. After the hits "All for You" and "I'll Be Waiting" in 2022, Ducrot finally released his first large-scale deployment album, Victory. It features 14 intimate pop tracks with unforgettable melodies, including, of course, his first two must-have hits, plus "Part of Me", "Heaven" and the title track. Although the album is somewhat uneven, it demonstrates the artist's talent as a performer. A deluxe version contains eight additional tracks, songs from the album but with choir and strings. (September 2023 Featured New Artist)

Music Videos: « All for You » - « I’ll Be Waiting »

After an eight-year absence, English band Blur reunited for The Ballad of Darren, but this was the first time the entire group had been in the studio together in 20 years. Here, Damon Albarn and his band offer perhaps their best assemblage of songs since 1997's famous self-titled album, which enjoyed huge success thanks to "Song 2" and "Beetlebum". There are no such instant hits on The Ballad of Darren, but the record does contain several magnificent mid-tempo ballads whose melody will stay in your mind for a long time. James Ford (Arctic Monkeys, Florence + the Machine, Gorillaz) is the producer here, creating a very special atmosphere that blends electro lounge and Britpop music, with a healthy dose of melancholy and David Bowie influences. Only the single, "St. Charles Square", stands out, recalling their heyday in the 1990s. All in all, Blur's The Ballad of Darren is a beautiful album to celebrate their 35^th anniversary, an album that makes the soul good. (August 2023 Featured Review)

Music Video: « St. Charles Square »

The 19-year-old English female singer introduces her debut album with Mirror. The album opens with the innocence-filled "Never Been in Love", before asserting that love is overrated in "Love Is An Overstatement". Then comes later her global mega-hit "Fingers Crossed", and the gentle ballad "Narcissist", the unmissable "Flowers", as well as the more recent hits "Best Friend Breakup" and "That Part". Lauren presents a large majority of ballads, always featuring her powerful voice, all wrapped up in rich arrangements. This is a successful debut album for the young artist, but let's wait and see how she develops in the future. (August 2023 Featured New Artist)

Music Videos: « Fingers Crossed » - « Flowers » - « Narcissist » - « Best Friend Breakup » - « That Part »

Janelle Monae introduces her fourth album, her first in five years. The record is highlighted by the debut single, "Float", which benefits from a fanfare with Seun Kuti & Egypt 80. Woodwinds and brass add an uncommon richness to the composition, which is also the album's longest at four minutes. The other 13 tracks are on average half as long as "Float", making for a fast-paced record. Janelle drops the sci-fi to be more down-to-earth, but she still presents R&B music that's very "left field" with excellent pop melodies, but nothing to attract the radios. The African and Brazilian touches she adds to her music prove particularly pleasing. Janelle Monae once again presents an excellent album with The Age of Pleasure, even if she succeeds a little less in surprising us. But she still likes to provoke, as the video for "Lipstick Lover" proves. (July 2023 Featured Review)

Music Video: « Lipstick Lover »

On Feed the Beast, transgender German Kim Petras continues the pop tradition of Madonna and Kylie Minogue with energetic, danceable music. She beautifully integrates electronics into her music for a sound of great modernity. The album includes the hit "Alone" (with Nicki Minaj), as well as the excellent "King of Hearts" and "Coconuts". She also duets with BANKS on "BAIT". The extremely catchy album concludes with another hit, "Brrr", and the masterful "Unholy" (with Sam Smith). With its 15 tracks, many of them tailor-made for radio, Feed the Beast is practically a hits collection. As a result, the entire 41-minute album is a wonderful listen. (July 2023 Featured New Artist)

Music Videos: « Unholy » - « Alone »

Four years after their return together, the Jonas Brothers are back with The Album. Is this really the album of the pop trio with a capital A? Probably not. They did, however, hire Jon Bellion as executive producer, who has successfully collaborated with Jason Derulo, Justin Bieber, Maroon 5 and Eminem (with Rihanna). Some of the tracks are obviously unmissable and, above all, unforgettable, notably "Wings", "Waffle House" and perhaps the song of the summer of 2023, "Summer Baby". However, they're a little scattered across the album, which also contains a few tracks that are a little too easy, with effective melodies but lacking in creativity. And with 12 tracks totalling less than 33 minutes, it's a rather thin album that would have benefited from a few more solid songs. The Album is a good listen but will prove more enjoyable in parts. (June 2023 Featured Review)

Music Videos: « Wings » - « Waffle House »

The Nigerian-born artist, now based in Canada, finally presents his long-awaited debut album, When It Blooms. Nonso Amadi offers an excellent blend of Afro-beat, R&B and electronic music. Amadi's talented collaborators include Nigerian soul singer-songwriter Tay Iwar on "Pieces" and London R&B singer Tamera on "Shivers". When It Blooms features a total of five previously released singles: his epic comeback with "Foreigner", his collaboration with Majid Jordan, "Different" (a worldwide hit), "Eye to Eye" (an MTV favorite), the patriotic anthem "Ease Up", as well as his most recent collaboration, "Lock Up", featuring Zinoleesky. These five hits alone total over 50 million streams. The 15-track album seamlessly flows from track to track, clocking in at nearly 50 minutes. A very solid debut by Nonso Amadi! (June 2023 Featured New Artist)

Music Videos: « Foreigner » - « Different » - « Lock Up »

A little over a year after the tragic death of drummer Taylor Hawkins from a drug overdose, Dave Grohl (who also lost his mother in August 2022) and his band present an 11th album with a very different focus from previous ones. There's a huge desire to live, while paying tribute to Hawkins, a tribute highlighted at the record's conclusion with "Rest", a direct message to the late drummer. Musically, the Foo Fighters move a little closer to the energetic rock sound of their debut, perhaps propelled by Grohl's forced return behind the drums, a first since 1997. However, the band has a progressive streak that shouldn't be overlooked, highlighted on "The Teacher", a 10-minute mini-suite. Note that the collaboration of Dave Grohl's daughter Violet is particularly noteworthy on the beautiful ballad "Show Me How". But Here We Are is a varied album, but the tracks follow on from each other wonderfully, as well as being highly satisfying. Weaknesses are rare, making this the band's best album since at least 2011's Wasting Light. (June 2023)

Six years after the highly successful Who Built the Moon?, Noel Gallagher is back with his High Flying Birds. For the occasion, producer David Holmes is replaced by Paul Stacey, a sound engineer who has worked with Gallagher since Oasis' Standing on the Shoulder of Giants. The result is a return to the sound of High Flying Birds' early days, less rock 'n' roll and more mellow. Council Skies gets off to a gentle start with "I'm Not Giving Up Tonight", before presenting perhaps its strongest song with the excellent, slightly more rhythmic "Pretty Boy". Thereafter, the band alternates between ballads and mid-tempo tracks, interspersed with a few more energetic moments. Although the album is very varied, the melodies are always effective, and the orchestrations are magnificent. Council Skies is a pleasant album to listen to throughout. (June 2023)

For those who prefer Ellie Goulding in a danceable atmosphere, Higher than Heaven offers a great return to that world. On this fifth album, Ellie presents catchy synthesizer-based pop songs. She avoids the deep introspection and personal orientation of her predecessor released three years ago, Brightest Blue. Described by the artist as her "least personal" album to date, Higher than Heaven focuses on thrills and escape. The album's catchiest moments are produced by Koz (Dua Lipa, Lykke Li, Lights), who draws the most addictive textures across the decades (disco, '80s pop and '90s house) for tracks like "Midnight Dreams", "Cure for Love", the haunting "Like a Saviour" and the sparkling title track. On the other hand, the wistful "By the End of the Night" strikes the perfect balance between Ellie's fun and melancholy sides. "Love Goes On" and the catchy "Easy Lover" (featuring Big Sean) benefit from a warm R&B sweetness, thanks to co-writer/producer Greg Kurstin, while the record's most intense moment comes in the second half with the must-hear single "Let It Die", an earworm about a tragic separation. One of her strongest albums to date, Higher than Heaven sits somewhere between the electronica of Halcyon and the commercial blitz of Delirium. While she doesn't draw from her personal experiences, the album remains one of the most immediate and listenable efforts in her repertoire. (May 2023 Featured Review)

Music Videos: « Let it Die » - « Like a Saviour » - « Better Man »

Boygenius is a supertrio that unites singer-songwriters Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus. Their friendship turned into a collaboration in 2018 for an EP, and now they bring us their first ever full-length album with The Record. Boygenius offers a blend of alternative rock and folk rock, with several unforgettable pop melodies. The three talented artists skillfully manage to overshadow each other to the benefit of the trio, which is quite rare in a supergroup. The three members of Boygenius speak with one voice on tracks like "Without You Without Them" (intro), "$20", "True Blue" and "Not Strong Enough". The folk side of the record comes back at several points with the exclamation point being "Leonard Cohen". However, more rocking tracks with solid guitar riffs like "Satanist" and "Anti-Curse" quickly take us back to the alternative rock sound of the 1990s. In fact, the band easily navigates between folk and rock throughout the 42-minute record. This is a very successful first try for the Boygenius trio. (May 2023 Featured New Artist)

Music Videos: « Not Strong Enough » - « Emily I’m Sorry »

For their 11th studio album, Metallica gives us a good touch of nostalgia, returning to their aggressive and fast-paced 1980s style. Efficient thrash riffs, tireless rolling drums and complex metal compositions flow together for 77 minutes. Several songs longer than six minutes (up to 11 minutes for "Inamorata" in the conclusion) are delivered with impressive aplomb for a metal band that has been in the business for over 40 years. Even if it feels like rediscovering the Metallica of the early years, the band still manages to innovate. In "Crown of Barbed Wire", Kirk Hammett can be heard introducing a series of complex chords that give a lot of texture and richness to this solid track, in which James Hetfield also explores new vocal registers. In "Shadows Follow", it's the powerful vocal harmonies that give a bit of freshness to a heavy track. As for "You Must Burn!", it is almost a gothic composition, thanks mainly to Rob Trujillo's bass, with elements of progressive rock fused with Black Sabbath. Several other tracks return to the thrash metal heartland ("Lux Aeterna", "Room of Mirrors", the title track), while "Sleepwalk my Life Away" seems to be a mix between "Enter Sandman" and Stone Temple Pilots. This is a refreshing album that contains enough quality compositions to regain our interest. (May 2023)

Music Videos: « Lux Aeterna » - « If Darkness Had a Son » - « 72 Seasons » - « Crown of Barbed Wire » - « You Must Burn! » - « Inamorata »

The Ottawa Bach Choir, conducted by Lisette Canton, presents six motets by Johann Sebastian Bach. They are accompanied by an expanded baroque continuo featuring Jonathan Oldengarm (organ), Matthew Larkin (harpsichord), Lucas Harris (theorbo), Jean-Christophe Lizotte (cello) and Reuven Rothman (double bass). The Juno Award-winning ensemble, founded in 2002 by Canton, offers its audience a wide range of high-quality early choral music. But it is the work of Bach that remains at the heart of their repertoire. (May 2023)

The Mexican duo of guitarists Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero return with their first album since 2019, the acclaimed, Grammy-winning Mettavolution. For the occasion, Rodrigo y Gabriela go a step further, adding orchestral textures and electronics to their guitar duo fusing flamenco, tango and other traditional Mexican music. The first track, "True Nature", uses a light digital delay, reverb and multiple funky rhythms in a complex melody framed by Gabriela's frenetic strings. The single "Egoland" bridges funk, Latin rock, surf and a dry orchestral drama that takes on the ideas of Morricone's spaghetti western. The third single, "Descending to Nowhere", was inspired by Alejandro Jodorowsky's surreal film La Montaña Sagrada (The Sacred Mountain), a funky rhumba that contrasts with the dramatic "The Ride of the Mind". With In Between Thoughts... A New World, Rodrigo y Gabriela offer us a varied and ambitious album, but which surprises by its cohesion and the links that unite the nine creative compositions. (May 2023)

Music Video: « Descending to Nowhere »

The London female singer starts her fifth album with funk (the title-track), disco (the hit "Free Yourself"), 1980s pop ("Pearls") and 1970s soul ("Hello Love"). Here is a good overview of her main influences of the moment. Jessie Ware collaborates again with James Ford, who had worked on What's Your Pleasure, her previous album released in 2020. She also collaborates with Stuart Price, who created great dance tracks for the Pet Shop Boys and Dua Lipa in the last few years. Less electronic and more organic, the album refers mostly to the 1970s with the rich use of guitars, piano, brass and strings ("Free Yourself", "Begin Again", "Beautiful People"). Only one other ballad is offered to us besides "Hello Love" ("Lightning"), so the whole record remains energetic and danceable.  Vocally, Jessie gets even more confident and recalls Grace Jones in the title track and Madonna in "Shake the Bottle". Teena Marie also comes to mind at various times, although Jessie keeps her own personality on this new record where she seems to be having a lot of fun. This is probably her most enjoyable album to date, a good fusion of old-time dance inspirations and 2023 creative jewels. (May 2023)

Music Videos: « Free Yourself » - « Pearls » - « Begin Again »

Rather prolific, Lana Del Rey already presents her ninth album in a little more than 10 years of career. After the excellent Norman Fucking Rockwell! in 2019 and three other albums in 2020 and 2021, Lana returns anyway with a long record of 16 tracks for 77 minutes. She continues her way into orchestral pop music, despite a greater maturity. There is also a feeling of distance between the album and us, more than ever before. However, Lana Del Rey still has an incomparable sense of melody that will once again capture our attention at several points on the album. With Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd, Lana certainly doesn't match the brilliance of Norman Fucking Rockwell!, but she once again delivers a solid and enveloping album. (April 2023 Featured Review)

Gracie Abrams is a young pop singer from Los Angeles who presents her very first full-length album with Good Riddance. She is still collaborating with Aaron Dessner on producing and co-writing, who was involved on This Is What It Feels Like in 2021. Dessner has also worked with Taylor Swift (Folklore, Evermore), whom Gracie considers her musical idol. Good Riddance is essentially a breakup album, inspired by friends and family members, but also by her own breakup with producer Blake Slatkin. Swift's influence can be heard on several rather introspective songs, sung with a soft voice. Dessner introduced Gracie to alternative musicians such as his bandmates from The National (Bryan Devendorf and Bryce Dessner), Rob Moose (piano, strings and orchestrations), Thomas Bartlett (keyboards) and James Krivchenia from Big Thief (drums and percussion). All these musicians bring a certain richness to the record, but that's without counting the presence of Brian Eno who co-produced "Right Now" at the conclusion of the CD. Gracie Abrams offers us an interesting album with Good Riddance, a pop record with substance. (April 2023 Featured New Artist)

Music Videos: « Where Do We Go Now? » - « I Know It Won’t Work »

On his latest album, Canadian pianist Sheng Cai presents piano works by Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943). The album begins with "Six Musical Moments, Op. 16," romantic works dedicated to Zatayevich and revised in 1940, followed by Cai's "Four Piano Transcriptions from the opera Aleko", personal transcriptions. Cai then offers the romantic "Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 36", the original version from 1913. In conclusion, the pianist presents "Polka by W. R." from Rachmaninoff and Franz Behr (1837-1898). On this tribute to Rachmaninoff, Sheng Cai proposes a great creativity, giving a new life to these essential works. (April 2023)

For her first album in four years, P!nk presents a particularly skilful mix of touching ballads and catchy pop songs. Trustfall feels like a kind of motivational therapy session, addressing themes of change, self-acceptance, loss and, of course, love. On this ninth album, P!nk pushes her voice more than ever and she impresses greatly. This voice supports her deep lyrics, which does not prevent her from hitting the dance floor with lighter tracks like "Never Gonna Not Dance Again". The Lumineers, First Aid Kit and Chris Stapleton collaborate on three folk- and country-tinged tracks, but they're not the album's best moments. Instead, P!nk is at her best when she dominates the stage with her strong personality and voice. With Trustfall, P!nk once again offers a very good album, which may overwhelm some with its variations of styles, but which contains very few weak moments. (March 2023 Featured Review)

Music Videos: « Never Gonna Not Dance Again » - « Trustfall »

Free Range is the project of Chicago-based singer, songwriter and guitarist Sofia Jensen. The trio (completed by Jack Henry and Bailey Minzenberger) offers soft, intimate acoustic music with unforgettable melodies, albeit with some discreet electric guitars. Even if it is rather sunny contemplative music, the album was completely recorded late at night, in the depth of the COVID-19 pandemic. While "All My Thoughts" and "Want to Know" were the first two singles from Practice, it's "Growing Away" that is the most immediate song, the one that makes us want to come back to it over and over. It is an interesting and pleasant folk debut album that Sofia Jensen and her band offer us. (March 2023 Featured New Artist)

Music Videos: « All My Thoughts » - « Want to Know » - « Growing Away » - « Forgotten »

Kimi Djabaté is a multi-instrumentalist from Guinea-Bissau, specializing in guitar, percussion and balafon (an African xylophone). He grew up in a family of griots, West African troubadours who travelled from village to village to preserve ancient oral traditions. On his new album, Dindin, Djabaté takes the traumas of his childhood and turns them into joyful love songs. He mixes traditional Afro-Portuguese rhythms, Afrobeat grooves, electric desert blues and touches of Cuban rhythms. The result is both smooth and rhythmic, managing to touch us quickly. Here is a very nice album from Kimi Djabaté, very pleasant! (March 2023)

For his fourth album with Warner Classics, Alain Lefèvre continues in the vein of My Paris Years released in 2019. He once again evokes his time at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris as a young student, continuing his foray into the French repertoire. This time, the virtuoso pianist tackles works by César Franck (1822-1890), Claude Debussy (1862-1918) and Pierre Max Dubois (1930-1995). From Franck, he proposes "Prelude, Fugue and Variation in B minor Op. 18 M.30" and from Debussy, we can rediscover five works, including the evanescent "Rêverie L.76(68)". As for Dubois, he was the one who taught composition to Lefèvre during his studies in Paris. A student of Darius Milhaud, Dubois wrote witty and brilliant music. Here you can hear "10 Études de concert pour le piano, Nos. IV, VIII & X", as well as the "Sonata for piano (1985)", dedicated to Alain Lefèvre. This is a great tribute by Lefèvre to his formative years in the City of Light. (March 2023)

Since 2019, Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the Orchestre métropolitain de Montréal have undertaken to record the complete cycle of symphonies by Jean Sibelius (1865-1957). Here they present Symphonies 3 & 4 from the seven symphonies of the Finnish composer. Conducted by Nézet-Séguin, "Symphony No. 3 in C major, Op. 52" and "Symphony No. 4 in A minor, Op. 63" were recorded at the Maison symphonique de Montréal by the Orchestre métropolitain. These are two magnificent works by Sibelius, masterfully performed by an orchestra and its conductor at the top of their game. (March 2023)

The American pop punk band is back with a new album, six years after After Laughter. Paramore hasn't been punk for a while now, but it's even more obvious on This Is Why. Their sixth album has some traces of their more aggressive past, but the whole thing is definitely pop rock, a sound tailor-made for the radio. The band's musical break allowed Hayley Williams to explore new musical horizons and there are obvious traces of this on This Is Why. Indeed, we find more poetic and confessional lyrics than what the band is used to provide. Paramore also presents certain influences of the 80's, notably in the synthesizers, as well as the disco-punk of the late 70's. The whole thing is a great listen, especially since there are only 10 tracks totaling 36 minutes. The revival of This Is Why suggests a renaissance for Paramore, who still has many lands to conquer. (March 2023)

Music Videos: « This Is Why » - « The News » - « Liar » - « Running Out of Time »

The band Maneskin was formed in 2016 in Rome, Italy. The quartet offers energetic alternative rock with excellent pop melodies and a hint of electronica. They were first discovered in 2022 with three colossal hits, "I Wanna Be Your Slave", "Supermodel" and "Mammamia". However, they had already enjoyed success in Italy with their first two albums, Il ballo della vita and Teatro d'Ira, Vol. 1, before winning Eurovision 2021 with the song "Zitti e buoni". Rush! is Maneskin's international debut album, featuring "Supermodel" and "Mammamia" as well as the more recent hits "The Loneliest", "Gossip" (with Tom Morello) and "Baby Said". The record unfolds with energy throughout, with catchy choruses to match. There are only a few rock ballads to break this frantic beat, ballads worthy of the 1980s. Moreover, this decade comes to mind on some occasions with obvious new wave influences. It is a solid album that this young band with an impressive talent offers us. A fresh wind in the rock landscape! (February 2023 Featured Review)

Music Videos: « Supermodel » - « Mammamia » - « The Loneliest » - « Gossip »

Quebec composer Maxime Goulet works in many spheres of musical creation, from symphonic music to video games. His classical music works are regularly performed around the world by prestigious ensembles, including the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal. He has composed more than 30 video game soundtracks and is the creator of the Montreal Video Game Symphony, in collaboration with the Orchestre Métropolitain, during the 375th anniversary celebrations of the city of Montreal. To mark the 25th anniversary of the ice storm that hit Quebec in January 1998, Goulet brings us the "Ice Storm Symphony", a symphony in four movements: "Turmoil", "Warmth", "Darkness" and "Light". It reminds us of one of the worst natural disasters in Quebec's history and the heroism that came out of it, in addition to raising awareness of environmental issues. The album also includes "What a Day" and "Fishing Story". Goulet can count on the Orchestre classique de Montréal under the direction of Jacques Lacombe, with Kornel Wolak on clarinet. (February 2023)