SI ON AVAIT BESOIN D'UNE CINQUIÈME SAISON

After their promising eponymous debut "Harmonium", the band surprises again with a neat and even more mature work, "Si on Avait Besoin d'une Cinquième Saison", dominated by acoustic harmonies and where the folk elements are still present, but this time with a greater instrumental richness as a result of the additional nuances that Serge Locat and Pierre Daigneault bring to it, and leaning towards more progressive sonorities. The album's theme deals with the four seasons of the year in individual pieces, and where the Canadians also take the liberty of incorporating an imaginary fifth season into their proposal.

Both the relaxed and spring-like "Vert" with the initial double flutes of Serge Fiori and Daigneault, the acoustic accompaniment of Michel Normandeau and the long interlude of a choral duo supported by the very good bass of Louis Valois and Locat's keyboards, and the summery "Dixie", in fun charleston mode, dominated by Locat's piano and Daigneault's delicious clarinet, represent, just like the seasons, the brightest and most joyful moments of the album.

And the melancholic "Depuis l'automne", which brilliantly describes autumn with the depth of Locat's mellotron in counterpoint with Fiori's acoustic plucks, and an unplugged melody that maintains that peaceful halo until its end, joins the wintry "En pleine fase" with the heartfelt singing of Fiori who rises and falls his vocal tones accompanied by Normandeau's accordions, to represent the coldest and greyest times of the year.

The album closes with the extensive "Histoires sans paroles", the suite divided into five sections that unhurriedly unfolds a huge instrumental development alternating moments of magical melodic fragility with others of intriguing atmospheres, from the watery sounds of the sea and the free squawking of the seagulls, the arpeggiated acoustic elements and the flutes, the protagonic contribution of the mellotron, the citara and even the delicate piano notes. A gem.

As an interesting fact, it is worth mentioning that "Si on Avait Besoin d'une Cinquième Saison" is considered in the "Top 100 Canadian Albums" (No. 56) in a compilation made in 2007 by the prestigious journalist Bob Mersereau, based on the opinion of more than 600 people related to the music scene.

Excellent

4/4.5 stars