Music Department

 Album of the Week: Laurent Bourque’s What We Talk About

by Mykel Vernon-Sembach

Laurent Bourque’s debut solo album, What We Talk About, has impressed the ears of critics and industry professionals alike, and KJACK staff’s as well! The Ontario native’s various talents (spanning from bass, guitar, piano, keys, banjo and vocals) have come together on What We Talk About in a melodious mix that reminds the U.S. of a time when John Mayer was a budding artist and not a blatant racist/misogynist. With an overall sound that reflects what many would quickly assign, “pop”, Bourque throws the genre a curveball; a slew of organic singer/songwriter sounds with indie-pop-rock influences that come together to give these overused genres their dignity back. Although broad and spread out, Bourque’s variety certainly gives everyone something worth listening to.

            At first glance, Bourque is stereotypical. Like a hokey eHarmony ad, Bourque attempts to sell his easy-going sensitivity in songs such as “Happy, Alone”, “Calm Down” and “Always Alright”. Although cheesy, Bourque successfully sells it wrapped in a catchy harmony that fits ever so nicely in the back of the head with lyrics to comfort the hardest heart. As his lyrics and emotion carried his more singer/songwriter ballads, his musically and instrumentation shines equally bright in “All You Beautiful Girls”, “Coming Up For Air” and “Fall In And Out”. Hints of John Mayer and The Fray illuminate at moments, illustrating college-educated coffee shop imagery in many a-head (think Macy’s Coffee on Beaver Street). Bourque ends the album with “Living In A Movie”, neatly closing What We Talk About like the ending of a deep conversation that leaves the listener refreshed and open-minded.

             With only ten songs, What We Talk About is short yet satisfying (and good enough to go back for seconds). The creation What We Talk About is like a recipe for ratatouille. A dish dominated by common (and sometimes overused) vegetables that have grown boring and bland, are thrown together, cooked and seasoned just right to create a mélange of comforting goodness. Laurent Bourque’s combination of common, overused sounds are reinvented and renewed in What We Talk About. As if blessed by the Muppet’s Swedish Chef himself, Laurent Bourque’s ability create musically simplistic recipes stand out on this freshman release, leaving his fans impatient for more.