Montreal singer-songwriter Beyries likes short songs with short titles, so the simplicity of her latest material comes along with its intensity. While it’s mostly sung in English, you mind find yourself keeping the French “J’aurai cent ans” on repeat.
♪♫ Listen: “Son” + album stream
Very different from anything you might have heard in the recent years, “Marée Haute” brings rich (even orchestral) arrangements combined with percussive vocals with all the catchiness of this unusual singer-songwriter. Sounds like a classic and who knows, might become one.
♪♫ Listen: “Race de monde” + album stream
It’s true that Arcade Fire fans are the immediate target group of John Jacob Magistery’s music – just try his 2016 indie hit “Carol“. But this 3-track EP show there’s more sides to this talented singer-songwriter, hopefully coming back this year with a proper full-length.
♪♫ Listen: “Carol” + album stream
Second album from young singer and songwriter (and actress) Nadia Essadiqi, “Les corps infinis” brings a collection of mostly electro-pop songs mostly in French-language – as there’s a beautiful exception of the Arabic song “Khlakit Fkelbek”, inspired by a traditional Moroccan wedding tune.
♪♫ Listen: “On danse par en dedans” + album stream
Just before his 30th birthday, one of Canada’s most talented new rappers brought his debut album with 10 tracks, as versatile and ambitious as you could expect after his previous works. Rap nouveau.
♪♫ Listen: “Nouveaux riches” + album stream
Backed by seven talented talented musicians, singer-songwriter Maude Audet brings some of the best melodies you could hear last year on the new album “Comme une odeur de déclin”. Whether it’s closer to folk or indie pop, Maude’s soft vocals will guide you through this little masterpiece.
♪♫ Listen: “Gallaway Road” + album stream
Having spent three years (almost) alone in Paris, Peter Peter comes back with a synthwave / electro pop album dedicated to the French capital. Although the retro-futuristic aura of the LP is what stands out in the first place, there’s some magnificent songwriting behind every song.
♪♫ Listen: “Bien réel” + album stream
This Quebecois artist from Congo combines Afro beats with electro and folk into a mix that’s among the best things that have come out of Canada in the recent years. For “Makanda”, produced by Tendai Maraire from Shabazz Palaces, he brought musicians from Kinshasa, Montreal and Seattle and you can actually hear it.
♪♫ Listen: “Makanda” + album stream
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“La science du cœur” is a story about balance – in love, in art, but in a way also Pierre Lapointe’s relationship with his growing audience. Somehow, he also managed to strike a good balance between direct but not obvious, modern and classic, in what might be his ideal self-portrait.
♪♫ Listen: “Sais-tu vraiment qui tu es” + album stream
On their fourth album, Timber Timbre cope with all the chaos and mind pollution we’ve been going through over the last two years. But while the LP owes its dark aura to the present, old synths they found in a Paris studio make the music colourful and timeless.
♪♫ Listen: “Grifting” + album stream