Caroline Savoie – Rom-Com 

You don’t have to be a Francophone pop fan to appreciate the world of Caroline Savoie. With Rom-Com, written, produced, composed and performed by Savoie herself on the Simone Records label, the artist touches on everything. Disco, punk-rock, folk and power ballad, offering a diverse range to delight every palate.

From the contemplative introductory track, which gently preludes a more danceable second, to the final hopeful track that serves as an epilogue, every song on his fourth album feeds the narrative.

The titles of this latest opus, in order, build a melancholy poem that sets the tone for what we’re about to listen to: “Rappelle-moi encore. We’ve got to talk / Far away, you’re capsizing behind my back / I’ll call you back. While everything’s exploding here / Even so, I hope for you.”

With Encore earworm, Caroline Savoie sets the table. Solo flute, violin and cello. Extremely rich arrangements, a highlight that the album then struggles to match. Dans mon dos, a lovely ballad in which every word finds its natural place. Je te rappelle, bossa nova. Quand même, pop to the max. A joyful mess that works.

Rom-Com is a dazzling showcase for Caroline Savoie’s technical versatility and mastery of genres.

Sublimated by the backing vocals of Sylvie Boulianne and Lisa LeBlanc, she sings of the interesting contrast between the lightness of her joys and the weight of her sorrows and torments. The album’s narrative structure is so well conceived that it offers the ideal harmony in this eclectic mix of genres. It’s a journey enriched by a cinematic aura of passion and disenchantment. But be warned, if there is a journey, it’s as sweet as it is bitter.

Not just an album, Rom-Com is a concept in its own right, with a clear creative identity. The release was also accompanied by a romantic comedy-style trailer by Samuel Wilde. The dialogue between Wilde’s visuals and Savoie’s soundscape is highly effective. We want to see it all, know it all. The New Brunswicker’s new album can be listened to in one go.

“Suddenly, everything around us is crying out for renewal, but how do we get there? Rom-Com makes us want to choose ourselves. To spring clean. A successful challenge. To be savored in one sitting.