 | Tracklist:
1. Lost in Your Eyes
2. To Run in a Dream
3. Spirits in the Material World
4. Paroxysm
5. In My Own Rhythms
6. En T'attendant
7. Hide and Seek
8. South Side of the Sky
9. So Little While Road
10. The Drive Within
11. Cold Day
12. Life in Technicolor
Release Date: 2010 | |
|
|
| Summary: at long last, Canada’s flurry of fingerstyle talent fosters both talent and lasting power |
4 of 4 thought this review was well written
I’m certain you’ve seen that video of Topeka fingerstyle guitarist Andy McKee playing his song ‘Drifting’ on YouTube, bald head, beard and all. For many listeners, it’s this video and/or other videos of McKee’s playing that first introduce them to the expansive world of fingerstyle acoustic guitar - a world of whose doors were only recently opened by canuck pioneers Bruce Cockburn and Don Ross in the last few decades. If you were suitably intrigued by McKee’s innovative guitarwork, you may have browsed the related videos: all of which were likely videos shot similarly by Candyrat records to showcase their huge wealth of fingerstyle talent. The record company boasts an always-expanding fleet of ridiculously talented instrumentalists that not only defy what we expect to hear from an acoustic guitar but damage the collective self-esteem of musicians world-wide. Quebecois guitarist Antoine Dufour is, regrettably, one of the lesser known men on the infallible label but since his first appearance on 2004’s Naissance, Dufour has quickly progressed into one of the more fascinating guitarists ever to capitalize on Candyrat’s YouTube ubiquity.
Convergences is a collection of hammer-on’s, acrylic nails, thumb picks, tapping harmonics and outlandish instrumental covers that collectively make a body of music as inventive as it is beautiful. Dufour has an impeccable ear for melody and even when he’s forcing all sorts of weird sounds and techniques out of his guitar (‘To Run In a Dream’, for example), the melody takes priority and is never backseated by technicality. The album’s centrepiece and most impressive song is a reimagining of Imogen Heap’s brilliant ‘Hide and Seek’ that sees Dufour miming each one of the song’s many harmonies crisply and percussively. The song mimics the ups and downs of its source effortlessly, switching from bright, plucked chords to the heavier melodic strum that dominates the song’s climax and really sets the bar high for acoustic instrumental covers (which there are quite a lot, believe it or not). And while the man’s Yes cover ‘South End of the Sky’ is pretty impressive too, the most impressive tracks outside of his Heap love-letter are the most melodically memorable still: the best original track goes unquestionably to ‘So Little While Road’, a song that is completely haunting in its composition but also so strange sounding that its a stretch of imagination to visualize how anyone would play it. But Antoine Dufour plays it. He plays all of the songs on Convergences, somehow and he does it all with one guitar. As just one fingerstyle enthusiast in a fledging fleet of many talented others, Dufour lets Convergences confidently set him apart from the pack.
|
| Recent reviews by this author | | | |
Album Rating: 4
Hide and Seek: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNPCI8y9avc
En T'Attendant: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNzIuKZP_Bk&feature=relmfu
One of those guys that either inspires you to practice 24/7 or burn your guitar. Choose your poison.
| | |
What if I don't have a guitar?
This sounds pretty swell
Digging: Swarms - Low Sun EP Digging: Swarms - Low Sun EP
| | |
Never heard of him, I'm intrigued. Nice review man.
Digging: Meshuggah - Koloss
| | | Album Rating: 4
If you're interested and if you haven't heard Imogen Heap's original version of 'Hide and Seek', I'd watch the second video I linked to - gives a good example of what his music is like.
Thanks again, Metallic
| | |
Awesome review. My friend introduced me to Existence and that was actually pretty cool. Haven't really checked out anything else : /
Digging: Suis La Lune - Riala Digging: Suis La Lune - Riala
| | | Album Rating: 4
I think, to an extent, once you've heard one good Dufour album, you've heard them all - he's consistent but not super (noticeably) varied unless you're a music theorist or unless you learn to play all his songs just to find out what new, subtle technique he's picked up. I can imagine each of his albums blending into another for more listeners (probably including me).
| | |
good review. maybe I'll give this a shot. also nice avatar, man you have the hugest boner for tea right now, hey?
Digging: Hop Along - Get Disowned
| | |
Used to listen to Dufour a lot a couple of years ago, I should probably check this out.
Digging: The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead Digging: The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead
| | |
omg my fingers hurt just listening to Hide and Seek
nice write up Waior, as usual
Digging: Spraynard - Funtitled Digging: Spraynard - Funtitled
| | |
''En t'attendant'', Waior. Non pas ''En t'attendent''
You're welcome =]
Oh, Antoine was born in a city next to mine. Yay
Digging: Taal - Skymind Digging: Taal - Skymind
| | |
this guy is amazing.
Digging: Hard Jams Inc. - Mars Volta False Prog Digging: Hard Jams Inc. - Mars Volta False Prog
| | | Album Rating: 4
One of my favorite acoustic artists ^_^ good review. Candyrat have some amazing artists.
Digging: Protest the Hero - Fortress Digging: Protest the Hero - Fortress | | | Album Rating: 4
je te prie d'excuser mon erreur jethro, fue un 'typo'.. aunque soy canadiense, hablo frances como un vache espagnol
candyrat has some incredible talent... including reign of kindo. any other fans of them?
oh, and I've learnt half of Hide and Seek thus far. just to update you on the progress
| | |
hahahaha ''Tu parles Français comme une vache Espagnole'' is an expression I like. Well chosen words!
| | | Album Rating: 4
hahaaa holy crap! i didn't even realise i'd switched back to spanish! shoot... that expression was taught to us in grade 1 french back in winnipeg. i used to say all the time in mexico "tu hablas español como una vaca francesa" (you speak spanish like a french cow) because of it
timeless, really
| | |
It's a pretty good start hahaha
Hables Espanol?
| | |
Like an French cow I guess lol
| | |
gross fingernails christ
Digging: Strapping Young Lad - City Digging: Strapping Young Lad - City
| | |
Dufour's great.
| | | Album Rating: 4
necessary fingernails
| | | |
|
|
Stumble
Digg
Twitter
Del.icio.us
