Author: Ciccone, Nicola

Release Date: 01-12-2008

Details: Amazon.ca The second album in the young career of singer-songwriter Nicola Ciccone, Noctambule turns out to be more rock-oriented and contemporary than L’Opéra du mendiant, his debut record, which achieved unexpected commercial success. Recorded in part in Los Angeles with producer Rick Neigher (a regular in John Mellencamp’s world), Noctambule nevertheless treads the same ground: Ciccone remains anchored in the concrete of the big city (Montreal, even if it is never named), enveloped in carbon monoxide and swirls of cigarette and cannabis smoke. It is in “Le blues de la 55” that the Italian-Quebecer’s style is most effective: he chats with a bus driver, and one can hear the characteristic sound of the doors opening at stops in the background. Ciccone seems to carry all the urban misery on his shoulders. On the first listen, it might seem a bit dark (the album title sets the tone) or even downright depressing. But here and there, more rhythmic melodies (as in “Bonsoir”) and a touch of humor lighten things up (“Mine is bigger, bigger than yours, It’s the biggest in town, it’s the nastiest…,” he brags in “Pompier”). Though he ventures into reggae territory (“Jama Song”), Ciccone primarily continues on the path blazed by L’Opéra du mendiant: with his enveloping voice, he sings without artifice about the daily lives of ordinary people and outcasts, their setbacks and their fleeting moments of happiness. Take it or leave it. --Jean-Yves Girard

UPC: 064027452327

EAN: 0064027452327

Languages: French

Binding: Audio CD

Item Condition: UsedVeryGood