Jean-Michel Blais paints intimate portraits of human vulnerabilities—sleep, illness, uncertainty, anger—on a captivating second album. His delicate piano compositions are fertile with musical references to, among others, Leo Sayer, Mendelssohn, and Radiohead (“roses”), and are blended with subtle electronic, vocal, and ambient dance effects. In “god(s),” Blais explores the idea of religious harmony with textures rich in Eastern flavour, while “a heartbeat away” ponders our mortality with music that reflects, races, and finally rests. The title track both reassures and unnerves, while ‘’sourdine” is a haunting meditation on our nighttime realms.
- Viviane Audet
- Angèle Dubeau & La Pietà
- De la beauté