DEMI-HEURE

Another super-rare sighting in La Belle Province's racks, Demi-Heure's sole self-titled album was a private pressing and release in 78. Graced with a superb artic winter artwork, the album presents a typically Québecois progressive folk rock with Christine Fortin's flute often in the front sharing the spotlight with Hélène Parent on vocals.

Opening with the superb Clochers (church tower & houses), Demi-Heure sounds a bit like the Harmonium of the debut album, but also of Cinquième Saison. This is no doubt in great part due to the flute, but also Ringuet's clarinet, both getting extensive use on the last two Harmonium albums. Actually quite strangely Le Vieux presents a sort of Dixie-type jazz-folk that echoes Harmonium's Dixie on Saison, both second tracks. Miel Du Temps and Retrouvailles are returning to a calmer Harmonium-type of soundscape, but the finale of the latter is somewhat overstaying its utility.

Partir opens the flipside is a beautiful ode to somewhere else but the winter-stricken Belle Province over delicate guitar arpeggios, growing slowly via a violin and clarinet to end as a group effort. The rest of the album glides effortlessly by in the same quiet folk rock mode with prog and jazz touches, sometimes reminiscent of l'Engoulevent or Brèche. The album dies slowly on an electric piano and flute twirls, leave on tiptoe.

This is typically the type of album that would've been much better known if released in 73, rather than in 78 during the disco tsunami. By then, Demi-Heure appeared in the last quarter of Quebec's prog boom, when things were starting to disintegrate