Insight
Album bleu moves Marie-Pierre Arthur toward electronic and R&B-tinged pop while keeping the warmth of her earlier records. She produced and arranged it with François Lafontaine and Sébastien Blais-Montpetit, and the sound is clear and colourful: synths, guitars and crisp percussion, with a TR-808 ticking under ‘Respirer L’Air’ and ‘Je Mens’. The grooves sit back and give the songs room.
Arthur sounds relaxed and sure of herself. Her voice stays at the centre of the mix, calm and direct, and she plays bass on five of the nine tracks. The guests add colour without crowding her: Mantisse and Thomas Thivierge-Gauthier on ‘Miroir’, Rose Perron and Olivier Langevin's guitar on ‘Jamais’. Lafontaine has the floor to himself on ‘Francine’, an instrumental of piano, keyboards and effects.
The lyrics, written with Amylie, Caracol, Carole Facal and others, turn on change, reflection and the small moments that make life feel lighter. Nothing is pushed too hard, and the record keeps a late-night, quietly uplifting mood from start to finish. Album bleu is a polished pop album from an artist still moving forward, and one of her most inviting releases.
-Robert Williston
Gallery
Images
4 images
Arthur, Marie-Pierre - Album bleu (3)
Arthur, Marie-Pierre - Album bleu (1)
Arthur, Marie-Pierre - Album bleu (2)
Album bleu (Deluxe)
Media
Videos
1 video
Credits
Musicians
A1 ‘Lumière’
Marie-Pierre Arthur: bass, electric guitar, vocals
Robbie Kuster: drums
Joe Grass: electric guitar
Nicolas Basque: electric guitar
François Lafontaine: keyboards, programming, electric guitar, percussion
Sébastien Blais-Montpetit: percussion, programming
A2 ‘Miroir’
Marie-Pierre Arthur: bass, vocals
Sam Aether: drums, percussion
François Lafontaine: keyboards, electric guitar
Sébastien Blais-Montpetit: keyboards, electric guitar
Mantisse: vocals
Thomas Thivierge-Gauthier: vocals
Rose Perron: backing vocals
A3 ‘Respirer L’Air’
Marie-Pierre Arthur: bass, vocals
Max Bellavance: drums
Lisandre Bourdages: bongos, percussion
Sébastien Blais-Montpetit: TR-808
Joe Grass: electric guitar, twelve-string guitar
François Lafontaine: keyboards, piano
A4 ‘Paradis’
Marie-Pierre Arthur: bass, vocals
Sam Aether: drums
Sébastien Blais-Montpetit: auto-wah bass, electric guitar
François Lafontaine: electric guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
B1 ‘L’Autre Hémisphère’
Marie-Pierre Arthur: vocals
Lisandre Bourdages: bata
Joe Grass: electric guitar
François Lafontaine: keyboards, electric guitar, programming, percussion, backing vocals
Max Bellavance: percussion
Sébastien Blais-Montpetit: percussion
B2 ‘Je Mens’
Marie-Pierre Arthur: keyboards, glockenspiel, electric guitar, vocals
Robbie Kuster: drums
François Lafontaine: keyboards, bass synth, electric guitar, backing vocals
Sébastien Blais-Montpetit: TR-808
B3 ‘Francine’
François Lafontaine: piano, keyboards, effects
B4 ‘Sœurs’
Marie-Pierre Arthur: vocals
Max Bellavance: drums
Sam Aether: drums
Nicolas Basque: electric guitar
Sébastien Blais-Montpetit: keyboards
François Lafontaine: keyboards, electric guitar, bass synth, backing vocals
B5 ‘Jamais’
Marie-Pierre Arthur: bass, vocals
Sam Aether: drums
Olivier Langevin: electric guitar
François Lafontaine: electric guitar, keyboards, programming
Sébastien Blais-Montpetit: programming
Rose Perron: vocals
Mantisse: backing vocals
Thomas Thivierge-Gauthier: backing vocals
Songwriting
‘Lumière’ lyrics by Amylie, Caracol, Carole Facal and Marie-Pierre Arthur; music by François Lafontaine and Marie-Pierre Arthur
‘Miroir’ lyrics by Mantisse, Marie-Pierre Arthur and Thomas Thivierge-Gauthier; music by François Lafontaine and Marie-Pierre Arthur
‘Respirer L’Air’ lyrics by Amylie, Caracol, Carole Facal and Marie-Pierre Arthur; music by François Lafontaine
‘Paradis’ lyrics by Caracol, Carole Facal and Marie-Pierre Arthur; music by François Lafontaine and Marie-Pierre Arthur
‘L’Autre Hémisphère’ lyrics by Amylie, Caracol, Carole Facal and Marie-Pierre Arthur; music by François Lafontaine and Marie-Pierre Arthur
‘Je Mens’ lyrics by Amylie, Caracol, Carole Facal and Marie-Pierre Arthur; music by François Lafontaine and Marie-Pierre Arthur
‘Francine’ music by François Lafontaine
‘Sœurs’ lyrics by Gaële and Marie-Pierre Arthur; music by François Lafontaine and Marie-Pierre Arthur
‘Jamais’ lyrics by Mantisse, Marie-Pierre Arthur, Rose Perron and Thomas Thivierge-Gauthier; music by François Lafontaine and Marie-Pierre Arthur
Production
Produced and arranged by François Lafontaine, Marie-Pierre Arthur and Sébastien Blais-Montpetit
Technical
Recorded at Studio de l’Est, Planet Studios, Studio Dandurand and Tone Bender Studio
Recorded and mixed by Sébastien Blais-Montpetit
Additional recording by François Lafontaine
Mastered by Richard Addison
Lacquer cut by CU at Le Lab Mastering
Plated at GZ Media, 283697E
Artwork
Photography by Marc-Étienne Mongrain
Graphic design by Mathilde Corbeil
Make-up by Maïna Militza
Styling by Mélanie Brisson
Release
Released August 30, 2024
Gatefold sleeve with resealable outer sleeve
Funded by CALQ, Musicaction, the Government of Canada and SODEC Québec
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