Légèrement is the debut LP from Montreal folk-pop group Rosier and it is lush and lovely, communicating a depth feeling and an elegance of form that will soothe the troubles of your mind and help you see clearer today.
Légèrement, which translates to English as “slightly,” is sung mostly in French, but a lot of the elements of these songs will still be familiar to those who didn’t grow up in Québec. The boney strum and warm, dry swaddle of “Pontoise” has a distinctly Joni Mitchell quality to the buck and drive of its groove, while the guitar and vocal melodies of the literal siren’s call of “La Fille qui Chante” will certainly strike a chord with fans of Fleet Foxes, and when the bright summery guitars enter the mix on the back end of the track, harkening back to a half-imagined past with a sting of nostalgia, you’ll be reminded of Father John Misty as well.
There are English language tracks here as well, “Mad River” that has a penetratingly contemplative quality to its inviting alternative country sweep, like looking into a reflecting pool that is so deep it seemingly has no bottom, and all you can see is your own eyes and face staring back at you from the undisturbed tension of the water below. The other English language track, “Paula Collins” glides on a more traditional folk melody, that makes it sound like it is being caught and thrown by every change in the direction of the wind, like a leaf plucked from a branch and kept perpetually twirling in mid-air, oblivious to the forces of gravity and the beckoning ground beneath it.
Suspend your cares and forget your worries for a half-hour today and give Légèrement a spin via Bandcamp below:
Légèrement is out via FAMGroup. You can buy a copy of it on CD or Vinyl here.
