HOMEWORKS VOL. 2 - 2002-2004

The apparent second in a series of compilations aiming to give an accessible sampler of Sébastien Gramond's prolific career, one can hear quite a few improvements here, when compared to the man's earlier works of the '90s. While the concept of compilations is generally frowned upon as being little more than a cash-grab for many artists, it does make sense for an artist who has taken part in over a hundred albums to throw some tracks together for a listener who might be daunted by the sheer number of albums. With that in mind, 'Homeworks Vol. II' is a welcome addition to Gramond's discography, although it is certainly not replacement for a legitimate album by the man.

One thing that is really noticeable in this era of Gramond's music is how much he has improved as an artist over previous periods as an artist. Particularly, his voice has shown the greatest improvement, going from a somewhat tone-deaf croon to something now quite a bit more powerful. The greatest examples of this are in the choral arrangements- where he pulls a Freddy Mercury and overdubs his voice again and again- and the more mellow songs featured on the compilation, including 'Sunday Morning' and 'In A Dream'.

The highlight of the compilation here for me would be 'A Sacris', which seems to push almost a dozen various styles together into one highly eclectic, scattered but undeniably interesting piece of music. Beginning with ominous 'horror' church organ tones, it later develops into a fusion fest of different sounds that can keep a listener guessing.

This compilation shows a promising era of Gramond's music, and it should be very interesting to go through the albums from whence these tracks came.