"A Mäe", Rodrigo Leao
(1 CD focus/PIAS)

It began with a song, "Cathy", flood of violins and sad voice of Neil Hannon, singer of Divine Comedy: therefore, to learn more. The whole album is the work of the Portuguese Rodrigo Leao and his group, film together - a program. His name is silent as many, yet Leao was the soul of Madredeus, group lighthouse in the 1980s. Found on "A mäe" the taste of the careful orchestrations (with the Synfonietta of Lisbon, no less) in a telescoping between romantic pop and distant horizons. Of the néotango of Daniel Melingo, who here lends his words and his phrasing Sung, to the vocal harmonies of Ana Viera, who enchants the project, any fly. Not to mention the leader of the Tindesticks, which grows the refrain with delight. "Cathy" was just an introduction, while majestic: "A Mäe", Rodrigo Leao, entire crossed by grace.
PH. N.
"meat" and "Milk", of Hawksley Workman
(2 CD Isadora/Naïve)
You can begin the feast ("Meat"), meat or milk ("Milk"), depending on your mood. The two albums also well could be called "Ubac" and "Adret. The first recorded in Ontario by the engineer Stew Crooks, from a romantic break, shows the dark side of the songwriter of the Muskoka (Canada). The second, produced in Stockholm by Marten Tromm, offers a playful and tangy likes. Choose in meat, for saignantes guitars and battery lines cut in the chopper, which does not beautiful ballads ("Song for Sarah Jane", crying, and "Baby Mosquito", wrenching, solo guitar to fall). "Meat", under the influence David Bowie, gives to Workman opportunity to once again show the extent of his talent in all the registers of the rock without neglecting a few winks of œil rap or funk. Voice, one of the most beautiful of the circuit, spans the octaves with disconcerting ease to seize the slightest nuance of emotion. "Milk", more neat with sparkling rhythms and synths boxes, will ignite the dance floor. There are of the waste, of course, among these 22 titles, but Workman, beast of scene, keep certainly the best for its French concerts, Mulhouse on 11 may, and at la Maroquinerie (Paris 20th) the next day.
T G.
"Swim", caribou
(1 CD City Slang)
While young troubadours reinventing folk with their voice and a simple guitar, adventurers continue to explore the endless horizons of electronics. Canadian Caribou (real name Dan Snaith) has just released a very nice album likes light and scholarly adventurer. "Swim", as its name suggests, is a disc of "dance music" liquid, as he in an interview to the "shareholders". Mathematician as poet, Caribou intends to break the metal side of techno. His "songs" are composed from electronic loops, but still maintain a melodic line clear and attractive. The artist uses the machines, but not disdains so treaty instruments, such as the Horn ("Hannibal") or even the "ethno" objects: "bowls" is played on two Tibetan bowls... "swim" is a disc of mood in the sense of the term, where it floats between the waters of heaven and Earth, in turn rocked by refrains sweet, then shaken by sound storms - rate always flush skin.
Ph. C.
"Clavier, volume I", of Johann Sebastian Bach. Zhu Xiao-Mei (piano)
(Mirare CD 2)
"During the cultural revolution, ...". I was in re-education camp. Classical music was then forbidden and the first book of the "Clavier" was one of the partitions that I managed to get me on the sly. "In order to share it with the fellow, I've spent dozens and dozens of hours to the copy, trying not to take", explains the pianist in the text of presentation of this disk. We can therefore imagine that is mentally and physically this music for Zhu Xiao-Mei. "This music has caused such shock me in such an environment, it can affect everyone, everywhere in the world," she added. Passed with such generosity, such sound fullness and a such lyricism, this work yet so intensely thought becomes clear, accessible and serene as if the artist had attended the composer. "I always say that Bach was Chinese", provides. One would believe.
Ph. V.
"Quintet City", Ronald Baker Quintet
(1 CD Crystal Records)
You can search for musical novelty and remain sensitive to the evocations of the past. The last recording of trumpeter Ronald Baker awakens memories of rich hours of the hard bop, this jazz-laden Blues. Surrounded by saxophonist Jean-Jacques Taïb (the great Antonio Hart is present on four titles), Alain Mayeras pianist, double bassist David Salesse and drummer Patrick Filleul, Ronald Baker (who claims the influence of Freddie Hubbard) book us moments of absolute joy ("Mr. Cookies", for example). Tempos, solos bloodthirsty, trumpet and saxophone mixed-trouble, the quintet revolutionizes nothing but makes a tribute to this ageless jazz. Apart from the harmony which emerges from this combo, success is also beautiful compositions of pianist Alain Mayeras ("That's True", "Blue Time"...), or even Ronald Baker ("Doodle Bug II"). Finally, the talents of the leader singer exploded on three compositions in which he evokes an Al Jarreau a nothing "flanged(notammentsurHotPursuit). It is always good when it listens to this kind of disk!
R. V.