Back in the hard rock game - A review of Éric Lapointe's Délivrance

I had almost given up on the charismatic French-Canadian rock singer Éric Lapointe. His last record Jour de nuit, released five years earlier, was boring and predictable, both lyrically and musically. The wild child who still is everybody's darling focused on his job as juror for talent show La Voix and raised two sons. A new album didn't seem to be around the corner and I was afraid that if there were to be more material, it would rather consist of pathetic piano ballads for lonely housewives than vibrant hard rock music. That's why Délivrance took me a little bit by surprise. While some of the lyrics are predictable, the music is diversified, energetic and entertaining and the singer performs with raw passion. The album is an improvement over the average Jour de nuit and of a very good quality similar to Le Ciel de mes combats released eight years ago.

''La nuit'' opens the record on an atmospheric and almost sinister mood and evolves into a moody hard rock track that sounds much more original than openers on previous studio albums. It might be the best opening song of a regular studio record of the hard rock legend from Montreal since the similarly powerful and rough ''Coupable'' released fourteen years earlier. The charismatic singer offers more atmospheric rock songs than on the predecessor as even the passionate lyrics about sexual innuendo in ''Ma Rose'' are supported by mid-paced hard rock stylistics with a menacing note. 

The album includes two quite interesting duets with former candidates of the talent show La Voix. ''La guerre a perdu'' is a smooth but intense ballad featuring Noémie Lafortune's emotional, expressive and skilled vocals. ''La bête'' features Acadian rock singer Travis Cormier, Éric Lapointe's protégé whom he refers to as sonny. The two rock fans deliver the punchy and vivid ''La bête'' that is situated somewhere between the hard rock and heavy metal genres. 

Éric Lapointe offers two cover versions on this album. ''L'envie'' was originally performed by the late French rock singer Johnny Hallyday whose style, philosophy and career bears many ressemblances to Éric Lapointe. The Canadian singer performs the gloomy rock song appropriately and intensively. On the other side, ''Le p'tit bonheur'' is a cover of French-Canadian folk singer Félix Leclerc whose support of the Quebec sovereignty movement and the province's French culture are values shared by Éric Lapointe. Instead of offering a vivid rock version as French-Canadian alternative rock band Groovy Aardvark did with B.A.R.F.'s Marc Vaillancourt in the nineties, Éric Lapointe presents this favorite song of his sons in a relaxed version supported only by piano and string sounds which works surprisingly well.

Obviously, this album also includes a few predictable power ballads such as first single ''Belle folie'' but even such a song is performed with genuine passion as Éric Lapointe credibly incarnates the tough rocker with a soft core. The ballads are perfectly integrated between heavier or more experimental tunes and add diversity and entertainment to a very good album.

Éric Lapointe's most personal song ever might be the closing ballad ''Sans vous'', dedicated to his two sons who have given his life a new sense. The lyrics and music are certainly inspiring for other parents who share his emotions but I find the track a little bit overtly emotional, almost cheesy. But since it's performed with genuine passion, it's still passable even though it might be the record's dullest song in my ears.

In the end, Éric Lapointe's Délivrance will please fans of old date because it delivers everything the singer stands for from passionate piano ballads over inspired cover songs and experimental duets to moody hard rock epics. This album is also an excellent starting point for anyone who hasn't heard of the French-Canadian rock legend yet. Délivrance is a significant improvement over the dull predecessor Jour de nuit and comes close to the singer's best records released a decade earlier. Anyone who likes different rock sub-genres should give this vivid, entertaining and creative output a few spins.

Final rating: 80%