by Nicolas Pelletier, originally published onQUB music, September 27, 2021

 

20 years of Pop Montreal... that's something!

 

The Montreal festival rolls its bump by betting on emerging artists – really – managing to make music lovers appreciate new talents that might otherwise have gone under the radar. A veritable marathon each year, as more than 500 artists take us from the Sala Rossa, to the Rialto, then to the Ritz PDB, or to the Fairmount, Ô Patro Vys, then to the Ministère, to the PHI Center, sometimes even to the St-Jean-Baptiste Church and La Tulipe to try to catch as many nice surprises as possible.

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I don't know how many years I've had the pleasure of covering Pop Montreal (at least 12?) and I've often fallen head over heels. I will name tUnE-yArDs, Ought, Lost in the Trees, Katie Moore, The Rural Alberta Advantage, Cones, Parlovr, Nancy Pants, The Baggios, Junglepussy, Câltar-Bateau, Petra Glynt, CTZNSHP, Viet Cong... among the surprises memorable.

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Over the years, the team of founder and director Dan Seligman has also succeeded in bringing in John Cale, David Byrne & St. Vincent, Grizzly Bear, Nick Cave, Sun Kil Moon, The National, The Dodos, Akron/Family, Burt Bacharach (!), Fever Ray, by reforming The Unicorns for a concert in 2014, and by allowing Phil Elverum (Mount Eerie) to express his sorrow following the death of his Montreal partner, the cartoonist Geneviève Castrée, during an emotional evening at the Ukrainian Federation.

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This year, as we recover (?) from a long wait without concerts, it's a reduced version to which we are entitled, but we won't complain about it: that's already it!

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Among the ten artists whose performance I was able to appreciate, here are a few notes of what struck me.

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THE BESNARD LAKES 
 

Listening to Plants & Animals at the FIJM last week, we noticed that there had been fewer rock bands in recent years, in favor of hip-hop. It felt good to hear electric guitars! 

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One of the excellent rock bands of the last 15 years is undoubtedly The Besnard Lakes, who really have nothing to envy to the War on Drugs of this world when it comes to long atmospheric flights! A duo of sharp guitars, a wall of sound under controlled pressure and, above all, perfect vocal harmonies! The whole gives an exhilarating rock, bewitching and powerful at the same time.

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Jace Lasek is an outstanding singer, also able to be subtle at other times. He masters softness as well as power, on sought-after chord progressions. There was already an ambient drone sound as the crowd entered the legendary Mile-End hall, on which the excellent Blackstrap was added when the five musicians took their places. We were in the car for 90 minutes of intense rock, practically non-stop. Several titles of their most recent album “The Besnard Lakes Are the Last of the Great Thunderstorm”, released earlier this year, were baptized in public, and it was grandiose.

Skilfully supported by his wife Olga Goreas (also bassist) and Nicole Lisée (also keyboardist), his voice pierces the thick layer of distorted guitars (courtesy of Steve Raegele) and dominates the room — the Rialto in this case. The last rock bands that have had this effect on me date back to dEUS (at the Main Room, in 2005), Grizzly Bear (at the National, in 2009), Tame Impala and Kurt Vile (at Osheaga, in 2012 and 2016). Yes, it was at that level. wow!

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FRED FORTIN  

It was a beautiful early fall evening. There's always something special in the air in Mile-End at this time of year. It's lively, but relaxed. It's nice to walk on the streets Bernard, St-Viateur, Waverly... Some merchants are still open even if it's past 6 p.m., but it's mainly the cafes, Portuguese or Greek, which have the monopoly of the 'activity. Some residents are slow to close their terrace, couples take a walk... and I'm off to see a Fred Fortin show. And not just anywhere: on the roof of the Rialto Theatre!

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And as I expected, it was a magical show! We may not have had a sunset of a thousand colors, but Fortin and his faithful sidekick Olivier Langevin were up to it. Spectacular in their proximity, in their pleasure in playing the electric guitar together, in singing Fred's best tunes. He has done them all: 10$, Oiseau, Led Zeppeline... and even Venus, by Gros Mené, as an abseil. Fantastic to be able to appreciate one of our best singer-songwriters in a context that is both intimate and unique.

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Congratulations to POP Montreal for having been able to use this space which suits the pandemic context well: the number of people being limited on a roof, anyway.

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LAURA NIQUAY  

A hoarse voice, character and a wise soul. This is how I perceived the Atikamekw artist Laura Niquay, for lack of being able to understand the words of her songs. Well aware that many of us were in this situation, she took the trouble to explain to us the themes of her songs: nature, family, her journey, her encounters, her sometimes difficult relationship with a father who could close on himself... 

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His themes are universal and traditional, but his rock is modern, delivered with an artistic edge that makes his art captivating. Laura Niquay is someone who reflects on life and its meaning, who becomes aware of the journey we make, from the first to the last day, of the doors we open and the spaces we explore.

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Here is a woman of her time, who has a lot of confidence, proud of her origins and who celebrates them by respecting her culture and truly embracing her values. A beautiful moment.

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Go listen to his Waska Matisiwin album, it's one of the very good ones released this year.

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CLAIRE MORRISON 

She has dimples when she smiles. She becomes serious and in control again when she sings, in the finest tradition of folk singers such as Joni Mitchell or, closer to home, Katie Moore. With solid lyrics and well-crafted melodies, Morrison was surrounded by her two best friends, Judith on vocals (a wonderful voice!) and percussion and Felix on plano. The complicity was evident both musically and humanly. 

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This young woman has a beautiful melodic talent, a storyteller and a very pleasant flow in addition to an impeccable pronunciation. I can't wait to be able to take the time to listen to his texts again.

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His music is not available on QUB musique, but some titles are on BandCamp and YouTube.

AIZA 

Confident, funny, sexy, proud of who she is, authentic, naughty, perfectly bilingual... pop soul singer Aiza knows how to live on stage! Captivating, beautiful and fascinating, we only saw her!

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Smiling, bright-eyed, hips heaving to the beat, she delivered her singing tour with the aplomb of the future star that she is. Songs in French here, Caribbean and African sounds there... so many touches enriching his music. I had a weakness for Take Me Away. At just 30 years old (it was her birthday!), the Torontonian of Burundian origins has a bright future ahead of her. Fans of both Ayo and Janelle Monae will click with Aiza.

A panoply of "singles" await you on his artist page, including Sizzlin.

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