The Montreal pianist Simon Boisseau caught attention with a few brief pop appearances alongside Fredz and Émile Bourgault. But his solo career is even more substantial with two albums already under his belt (Colorblind, 2019, and Le déjeuner, 2023), to which this third opus titled Les fausses illusions is now added.
If the first two had all the characteristics of contemporary neoclassical music, this new release is dressed in more cinematic colors, both in the arrangements (which sometimes include some strings and electronics, albeit very discreetly) and in the sound recording and studio production. While in the previous works Simon’s piano was captured clearly, here it is often enveloped in a delicate veil that gives it a muted projection. I occasionally wondered if the artist had “prepared” his piano (like John Cage did, when he inserted pieces of wood or metal between the strings of his instrument to give it astonishing sounds). In that case, I imagined pieces of cotton to dampen the resonance of his playing. It gives the whole production a kind of dreamy tinge.
Some classical reminiscences appear in certain melodies (Satie in J’ai les yeux pleins d’eau, Bach in Et si je pleurais) and an excellent cover of André Gagnon’s Wow, is worth mentioning. Boisseau brings a contemporary touch to it, as if it had been written for an epic fantasy video game, where the hero traverses a vast foreign landscape. A delicate electro dressing adds velvet to this seductive soundscape. A very beautiful cover, both respectful and personal.
Simon Boisseau will be in concert on the following dates, among others:
