Country : Canada (Quebec) Label : Chivi Chivi Genres and styles : Electro-Pop Year : 2020

Maison-Dieu

· by Luc Marchessault

Tarot enthusiasts could tell us, in great detail, about the symbolism of the Tower (Maison-Dieu, in French). Is it, in this case, a scale, with one of the plates bearing the humility, and the other the ambition, of Lysandre Ménard? Perhaps so, for we can sense the young singer-songwriter is humble in her content and ambitious in her songs. Indeed, they’re based on harmonic and melodic structures, as well as textures, which augur a fruitful future for this young creator. A lover of symbols, Lysandre, and a fan of myths. In the first piece, “Persephone”, she evokes the Greek goddess who alternates between infernal underworld and verdant fields. Lysandre then takes us to a forest of love, where Artemis, Greek goddess of the wilderness, frolics with a deer companion. Then, “Kaïma” – the only piece in English – represents another self, a goddess of courage who intervenes when necessary. Finally, “Ulysses” is an ode to resilience. 

We saw and heard Lysandre with The Loodies, a Montreal quintet led by Ludovic Alarie, as well as with the London trio Girl Ray, which she accompanied on tour. She also studied piano at the Royal Academy of Music in London and was seen in Léa Pool’s film La passion d’Augustine. On Maison-Dieu, Lysandre has joined forces with a number of strong collaborators: musician and composer Blaise Émard produced; Valentin Ignat and the ubiquitous Emmanuel Éthier mixed; Adèle Trottier-Rivard is on backing vocals; Simon Pagé and Nicolas Basque on bass guitar; the latter, along with Kerry Bursey and Valentin Ignat, on guitars, and Samuel Gougoux and Sasha Woodward on drums.

Beyond the British-American electro-pop references, one notes the more contiguous influence, in terms of dreamlike pop, of former colleague Alarie, and of Klô Pelgag. No need to be trained in the divinatory arts to foresee a happy sequel to Maison-Dieu.

Latest 360 Content

Transforming Hiroshima mon amour into contemporary opera: Christian Lapointe and Rosa Lind tell the story

Transforming Hiroshima mon amour into contemporary opera: Christian Lapointe and Rosa Lind tell the story

Sparks – MAD!

Sparks – MAD!

“Hiroshima, mon amour”: An Evening to Remember

“Hiroshima, mon amour”: An Evening to Remember

Peter Murphy – Silver Shade

Peter Murphy – Silver Shade

Ken Pomeroy – Cruel World

Ken Pomeroy – Cruel World

Art of the Line: Klangkarussell’s Euro Vision at SAT

Art of the Line: Klangkarussell’s Euro Vision at SAT

Festival des Saveurs | Closing With Reggae

Festival des Saveurs | Closing With Reggae

Centroamérica – a powerful docu-play about truth and connection in an age of distance and denial

Centroamérica – a powerful docu-play about truth and connection in an age of distance and denial

Lido Pimienta – La Belleza

Lido Pimienta – La Belleza

Tamir Barzilay – Phosphene Journal

Tamir Barzilay – Phosphene Journal

The best ‘’Candlelight concert‘’ ever.

The best ‘’Candlelight concert‘’ ever.

Men I Trust – Equus Caballus

Men I Trust – Equus Caballus

The Halluci Nation – Path of the Baby Face

The Halluci Nation – Path of the Baby Face

A lap steel guitar choir and an angel to end the Innovations en concert 24-25 season

A lap steel guitar choir and an angel to end the Innovations en concert 24-25 season

The OSM and Abel Selaocoe: Evenings When You’d Like to Stop Time

The OSM and Abel Selaocoe: Evenings When You’d Like to Stop Time

Reaching for the sky: Francis Choinière’s challenge to end his OPCM’s 10th season

Reaching for the sky: Francis Choinière’s challenge to end his OPCM’s 10th season

Piknic 3: A Little Bit of Everything Under the Sun

Piknic 3: A Little Bit of Everything Under the Sun

Cazzu – Latinaje

Cazzu – Latinaje

Stereolab – Instant Holograms On Metal Film

Stereolab – Instant Holograms On Metal Film

SMCQ | In memoriam Jocelyn Morlock

SMCQ | In memoriam Jocelyn Morlock

Abbey Road at Festival Classica

Abbey Road at Festival Classica

Mira Choquette – Hier encore

Mira Choquette – Hier encore

Jared Dunn; Anna Gorecka – Gorecki’s World of the Piano

Jared Dunn; Anna Gorecka – Gorecki’s World of the Piano

Subscribe to our newsletter