Beginning with his self-titled debut in 2005, and continuing through his next four full-lengths, Quebec poet, folk singer, and songwriter Philippe B has never been one to say—or play—too much. That has never been truer than on his assured sixth album. Inspired by parenthood and the monumental life changes it brings, Nouvelle administration comes across like an existential reckoning, effortlessly mixing the acoustic and the epic. He waits for his soon-to-be-born child on opener “Je t’attends,” which flits between nimbly plucked, classically infused drama during the verses and an expansive, ’70s-tinged chorus. “Les orages là-bas” moves to a steady-strummed rhythm and languorous blues, as the singer contends with a fear of distant storms while offering a reassuring hand to a loved one. It all comes together on the title track, in which Philippe B reflects on the optimism that comes with uprooting oneself to turn over a new leaf, while acknowledging that, ultimately, you’re the same person, with the same hopes, fears, and challenges, no matter where you go.
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