Catherine Valéry

Since the release of her debut EP back in May, I've been meaning to write a post about the Montréalaise singer-songwriter Catherine Valéry, so when BRBR posted a video for the song "Dors" on their website recently, it was time to get my shit act together...

Catherine is yet another graduate of the prodigious production-line that is l’École Nationale de la Chanson de Granby - joining alumni Laura Babin, Véronique Bilodeau and Geneviève Racette - all of whom have in graced the pages of this blog after I discovered their debut records.

There are only four tracks here and so in many respects this ensures the EP serves as much as a teaser as a record in it's own right,  especially as from the opening bars of the acoustic guitar and soothing vocals - at one both crystalline yet velvety smooth - of "Tu Dérives", I'm totally hooked.

The beauty of this record is that when coupled with her poetic lyrics, Catherine's voice is as much an instrument as the piano, guitar and simple percussion that accompany her sensual, bitter-sweet songs, as the spellbinding "Dors" ably demonstrates...


It's incredibly difficult to pick out a favourite track, but if pushed I'd have to plump for "La peur" - I'm just suckered by the uplifting refrain and accompaniment of the soaring chorus. The truth is however that I'm equally moved by the natural simplicity and haunting beauty of "À moi" - an incredibly moving two piece for piano and voice - that brings this EP to a fitting close.

Catherine Valéry is yet another talented singer-songwriter from Québec who just appears to have the knack of creating beautiful chansons effortlessly... She's yet another artist of whom I yearn to hear more...

Catherine Valéry "EP" (Bandcamp), (iTunes)

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