Last spring, after tiring from Canada’s unforgiving winter, Les Hay Babies fled to Louisiana to focus on their most recent studio album, Tintamarre. Inspired by the vibrant energy of Cajun culture and the traditions of their beloved homeland, New Brunswick, the album takes you out of the confines of city life and sets you free on the wide-open road.
Tintamarre is packed with energy and life from start to finish. Drums and cowbells instantly draw you in on the opening track, “Soyez fiers” – a timeless country song with group vocals giving it a more modern spin. There are driving guitars that make you want to stomp your feet, such as on a more classically rock n roll song, like “Maringouin.” “Mirroir” has an almost Jefferson Airplane-type allure to it, opening with the sound of a distant wind chime, a baseline creeping up over the horizon, and reverberated guitar licks. It has a mystical quality that adds to the overall glamour of the album.
The song “Some People” talks about not having to settle where you are if it’s not serving you and that there is so much out there waiting for you. This is an overarching theme; there is a certain nomadic feeling to this record as a whole. It speaks to the desire of wanting to get in your beat-up car with some pals to go off and see the world and it is so apparent that this is exactly what the band did. They left home and went off to make a new home, where the album could be brought to life.
From country to roots, to classic rock, Les Hay Babies have expressed their sense of identity and their love for both their home and the prospect of finding a home somewhere else. It leaves you feeling warm and with a sense of community and I will certainly be returning to this album for a source of sunshiney escapism when the Montreal winter is at its most brutal.
