We might be a little biased here at GDW once in a while, and shamelessly so when it comes to learning of new music from a core of particular artists. Award-winning Montreal folk-pop musician Geneviève Racette has been covered on these pages a few times over the last couple of years, always leaving a lasting impression on the team that review her music, and leaving me eager to cover some of her new music myself when the opportunity came around again.
Celebrating the one-year anniversary of the release of her album “Satellite,” Geneviève treats her fans to a ‘Deluxe Version’ which offers four additional tracks – delivering beautiful acoustic recordings of “Maybe,” “Les Adieux,” “Someone,” and “Hostage.” Yet these tracks are just a small part of what Geneviève accomplished over a busy twelve months, taking her talents on the road to Folk Alliance International, Americana Fest, Canadian Music Week, and Manitoba Arts Network, finding time also to perform at venues both in Canada and the US as she toured.
While the original version of “Satellite” has been covered here previously on GDW, I must insist that you are truly missing out on something incredibly special if you’ve not circled back to listen to these new live recordings. As if Geneviève’s voice doesn’t already shine through each song she performs, stripping away the studio soundtrack lets us really hear just how gifted this singer-songwriter is.
Although the supporting instrumentation certainly helps enhance the emotion of any lyrical storytelling, I find a deep connection can still occur when it’s just me, the artist, and their guitar, (or piano on “Les Adieux,” as discovered here). The words, the heartache, the message – that’s the root of the connection we have to these songs. I particularly enjoyed the more intimate version of “Hostage,” as it felt like we were sharing feelings soul to soul. There is no hiding the vulnerability this time; her feelings are heard, and I admittedly relate.
I highly recommend spending some time here with this latest version of “Satellite,” and allow Geneviève’s intimate vocals – as GDW’s Richard Clark perfectly described, to “simply float over you and soothe your soul” once more.
Photo Credit: Artist Website
Jess has always enjoyed a wide range of music genres and eras. Connecting deeply with classical music, she played cello from grade school through high school, and although no longer actively playing, her affinity for finding an emotional connection to music is still strong. Residing in central PA, she is new to the Canadian music scene and enjoys listening to new artists as a way to break away from “the usual.” Jess is an avid yogi who often finds a sliver of peace while on the yoga mat with good music playing in the background.
