Catherine Dagenais

Anyone who lists Les sœurs Boulay and Ariane Moffatt amongst their musical influences will sooner or later come to my attention. Such is the case with singer-songwriter Catherine Dagenais. Québecoise Catherine (she hails from Laval) is yet another talented graduate from the conveyor-belt that is Québec's Cégeps. Singer, songwriter and guitarist, her debut five-track Eponymous EP was released earlier this year and showcased her undoubted talents as a composer of jazz, folk and pop-tinged Chansons - or more accurately French song - Catherine is versed in the art of story-telling in the style of artists such as Charles Aznavour and the immortal Jacques Brel.

The EP opens with "Le Mythomane" and a folk-pop riff that could have been lifted from Carole King's "It's too late", before injecting a gorgeous jazz-soaked vibe into the questioning refrain. In a simple two-piece number (primarily just Catherine and her guitar), however the song's story -  that of the turmoil of the pathological liar of the song's title - is expertly conveyed by her impressively structured lyrics - indeed, this is as much a story set to music as a song. And there's most definitely an air of Jazzy-blues and improvisation, as well as yet more epic word-smithery to "Entre les pinces du crabe." In fact there's a touch of the Zaz here in what is a thoroughly enjoyable and modern Chanson.

However, if you listen to this EP and take away only one thing it has to be the way that Catherine effortlessly switches between genres. "La poudre aux yeux" for instance is very much in the vein of contemporary Québec Folk-pop - think of any number of her Cégep contemporaries (many of whom featured in my Mauve Lunel post), or, for example Laurence Hélie. It's a sympathetically composed and constructed song. There's a delicate softness to Catherine's voice in a song that is at one both resigned yet strangely compelling.  Meanwhile, "Les pilotes de l'air" is just a beautiful love song... "... I sent pilots, To squeeze your strong heart and heal your Winter wounds, And then I reshaped my heart of stone,  I've left you a loophole for you to get through..." Trust me, it doesn't need any further introduction...

The EP closes with "Le monde à l'envers" - arguably the most up-tempo number on display and one that features an incredibly toe-tapping Latin-Gypsy infused rhythm. The song also features Catherine's disarming English-language refrain. I suspect this is a song that goes down a storm live. Watch the video below...



Catherine Dagenais' debut EP offers a thoroughly impressive collection of songs that straddles jazz, folk, pop and Chanson. Comparisons with both Laurence Hélie and Zaz bare testament to the way that Catherine can switch effortlessly between musical styles. The EP also marks Catherine as much a story-teller as song-writer and bodes well for a bright future for an artist well-worth listening out for... 

Catherine Dagenais Website
“EP” (Bandcamp)