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MP3 JosÉe Allard - Josée
5 MP3 Songs
POP: Folky Pop, ROCK: Acoustic
Details:
Singer-songwriter Josée Allard, pronounced "Jo-zay" "Al-lard", grew up in British Columbia where she started singing and composing songs at 10 yrs old. "Inexplicably enticing to my heart with sweet, but cool melodies...this music grew on me very fast" is how one fan describes her tunes.
Largely influenced by Jewel and Sarah Mclauchlan, the ability to entertain a French or English audience is what sets apart this talented young redhead. Josée has opened for famous Quebecois artists Jean Leloup and Diane Dufresne, and has worked with professional francophone musicians such as Isabelle Longus, Mélonai Brisdon, Joëlle Rabu and Danielle Hébèrt.
When she moved to Washington in 2003, Josée jumped into Pacific Idol, a spin-off of American Idol for the Pacific Northwest, and topped off 18 finalists with her own songs! This led to producing her first EP, titled "Josée", recorded in Bellingham at Bayside Studio (The Pale, Korby Lenker, Idiot Pilot) and independently released in December 2004. "Let be", the last song on the album, has already been featured in a film called "The Face of Aids in Whatcom County". Wilson Large, the filmmaker, says "I needed music that was heartfelt and when I found "Let Be" it was like Josée wrote it for the documentary. It was an added bonus that I saw her perform because I knew that she was very passionate about her music and lyrics". Josée was quickly invited to collaborate on "Sassy Cat", a compilation CD sold to raise money for the mother baby center in Whatcom County. Josée wrote two kid''s songs titled "Sassy Cat" and "Are you ready for me?" specifically for the album.
The attention that Josée was getting in the U.S. helped her gain higher ground in her native country. In November 2004 she was selected from 1000''s of applicants to play at the "New Music West Music Conference and Festival" in Vancouver, B.C. Josée was also invited to perform in February 2005 for the Cultural Capital of Canada celebration in her hometown, Powell River, BC. This was a great achievement for her as she honed the unique task of entertaining her audience with a bilingual concert!
Over 100 people turned out at The Central Bar & Grill in Victoria, B.C. for her CD release party. Josée appeared live on The New VI''s morning show "New Day" and on CHTV''s "GO". Two of her most popular tracks, "See the Sunshine" and "Let Be", have been receiving regular airplay on radio stations throughout B.C. such as CBC Radio (National), 97.3 Eagle FM (Vancouver Island), CFUV 109.1 FM (Victoria) and Jump Radio 90.1 FM (Powell River).
Josée is currently recording her first French album and hopes to be touring festivals in Quebec next summer. For now, you can catch this energetic entertainer playing bass and singing with her Latin/Folk band SOL, performing in an intimate setting with her trio or delivering a chilling solo acoustic performance. Either way, you must see her live now while she is still accessible!
CD REVIEW
Josée''s self-titled 5-song EP is a well-produced and well-performed sample of this rising talent. How''d You Know and See the Sunshine are solid pop songs which make up in radio-friendly catchiness what they lose a little lyrically. Look at Cameron Now survives on the merits of infectious lead guitar hooks from Yusuf Kilgore, even though the song begs for a stronger chorus. The sweet ballad Make Believe showcases Josée''s endearing voice which is both soft and strong, but the song seems to have no chorus at all (call me a Chorus Snob!), making for an anticlimactic listening experience. The strongest track on this recording is the final one, Let Be, a song which has all the right elements in the right place at the right time. The lyrics in Let Be are a cohesive collection of metaphors ("I was a blanket just to keep you warm at night/I was a mirror on the wall to enjoy your gorgeous sight") which build to a lightly produced but effective chorus and culminating with the simple but poignant last line "You know that what you love, you must let be." Josée''s soulful vocal performance on this track is moving, as she enunciates and projects each word with emotive and evocative conviction. This EP shows great potential for Josée, whose voice alone is enough to leave you wanting to hear more. A capella anyone?
James Kasper
Producer,
Vancouver Island Music Awards & Conference
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