MUNDI DOMINI

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3.5 stars really!!!

Sole album (so far) from a formation where women are the majority, Mundi Domini is another talented sextet from Montreal, but this time choosing progressive folk as their main vein. And you'd have a hard time believing they're from Quebec because they sound Frencher than most French groups, with their chamber rock laced with pastoral classical music, but even more with French folklore. With the flute sisters Couture (Ronald, des soeurs, des filles ou des cousines???), one of them also twiddling string instruments and being the second writer of the group, MD is an extraordinary lyrical music group, with their music being very descriptive of their moods, even more so when they don't sing.(less than half the tracks have lyrics proper). Although in majority feminine, the group is more centrered around Lonergan (the main songwriter) and his piano and Doyon and his ever-present accordion.

After the presentative Summus Mundi Domini (we are Mundi Domini), a very beautiful piano-led track with Gregorian chants soon giving way to the accordion, dominating the rest of the extended track, although flute and piano do make comebacks here and there. Petit train follows the same path but finds some Indian curves around the Himalaya, courtesy of Odrée's sitar, You'd have expected the next track Siddharta would also lead in the same direction, but here we are in a chamber rock ala Maneige and Miriodor.

The real vocals come with La Fille Du Bucher (bonfire girl), which delves deep in the French folklore and touches some medieval chords, going as far as Cathars or the Inquisition. After a short instrumental Indian-laced interlude named Amen, the mood returns to French folklore, between cabaret music and trad folk with Linda Fille De Joie. Clearly these French folk influences are Odrée Couture, and while she plays some sitar, the more world or ethnic influences appear to be from Lonergan, who comes back with two tracks pf the same fabric as the debut of the album, and Odrée closes with a superslow Complainte Des Non-vivants, which agains leans of French folk.

While not really essential to Prog Folk or Quebecois Prog, Mundi Domini (Master Of A World)'s sole album is definitely worth the discovery, especially if you are looking for quiet reflective music.

Born in 1997, this sextet from the heart of Quebec, the borough of Limoilou, was formed by six young musicians of the Jean-de-Brebeuf Music School, namely Melanie Caron, Odrre Couture-Bedard, Rae Couture, Stephane Doyon, Sean Lonergan and Annabel Pompilio, most of who were multi-instrumentalists and contributed on vocals as well.After winning a school contest they were invited in several national festivals and in 2001 they were given the chance to record an album under the support of DiArt Productions.The self-titled debut of the band came out the following year.

These kids could really play, even if their style was basically structured on acoustic instruments with bass and drums being the only evident links with Rock Music.They did want to continue the endless, historic line of Folk-tinged Canadian Prog bands and they did it pretty well on this album, which contains strong MANEIGE and HARMONIUM influences, although Mundi Domini lack the complexity of the first and the strong, symphonic tunes of the later.But their music was actually a mix of Chamber Rock with Folk, led by ethereal acoustic crescendos and light interplays.The piano lines of Sean Lonergan and Melanie Caron appear to be the leading force of the album, over which the musicians built a unique atmosphere full of nostalgic accordions, mellow flute solos and dreamy acoustic guitars.The vocals are sporadic, sometimes offered in a chant-like mood or bursting often a theatrical color, and good thing is that the album contains extended, instrumental themes with lovely interactions and cool, folky overtones.There is a great balance between Classical references and more traditional Quebec Folk and the abscence of electric explosions is far from disturbing, the solid background of the six musicians eventually created a nice and dreamy Prog Folk journey.

Info says that Mundi Domini toured for about two years after the release of their sole effort, but no further activities were reported.Couture-Bedard appears to have continued its stint in Chamber-influenced Music in a professional level.

Nostalgic, well-arranged and pastoral Canadian Prog Folk, which gets even more surprising considering the age of the involved musicians.Warmly recommended.