Seul au Piano

For Seul au Piano, Québecois singer Pierre Lapointe moved to very simple arrangements that capitalize on his vocal abilities. The piano playing itself (from Lapointe) is pretty and fitting to the moods given, but serves primarily as a backdrop for the vocals. This is where he shines. Despite being relatively young, Lapointe can invoke elements of the weary café singer, elements of chanson greats. He's able to be simultaneously introspective and externally pleading, smooth but slightly ragged with emotion. There's a lot of nuance to his delivery here, with sarcasm, drama, and hidden meanings seemingly present simply due to the intonation -- another hallmark of the great French lounge singers. It's a good sound that he puts together here, and though the piano itself gets lost in the mix, the album is potentially better for its near absence. ~ Adam Greenberg