HARMONIUM

Despite their brief recording career, with only three studio albums in three years (1974-1976), the French-speaking Canadians Harmoniun left a deep mark on the history of modern music in their country. Reclaiming French folkloric currents tinged with similar North American roots and a slight touch of bossa nova, the Quebec natives began their adventure with the homonymous album "Harmonium", a proposal in which acoustic melodies wrap the songs from beginning to end in an environment of peaceful harmony that is almost palpable.

The relaxed vocal register of Steve Fiori and his acoustic guitars, complemented by the second voices and the acoustic counterpoint of Michel Normandeau, form a remarkable duo that structures a content of great musical cadence not at odds with simplicity, correctly supported by the bass and the piano touches of Louis Valois.

Particular highlights are the opening "Harmoniun" with its variations of rhythm and the sweet contribution of the flugelhorn (similar to a saxophone) of guest Alan Penfold, the fluidity of "Aujourd'hui, je dis bonjour à la vie" with the enveloping introduction of birdsong and the bustle of frolicking children, and where Valois's marked bass lines support the huge instrumental acoustic development of the second half of the piece, Valois' delicate piano notes and Fiori's flute on "Vielles courroies", the beatlenian "Pour un instant", one of the album's most successful tracks, and finally the festive "Un musicien parmi tant d'autres", for whose choral harmony a dozen people were recruited on its last day of recording. A very good closing.

"Harmonium" had a more than acceptable production job despite its meagre budget (6,000 Canadian dollars (CAD) at the time, equivalent to approximately 33,000 CAD today or US$ 24,000 for a better global reference). The 2019 remastering enhances the musical appreciation of the album and pays a fitting tribute to it.

3.5 stars