I love the harmonies of Luke Doucet and Melissa McClelland, collectively known as Whitehorse. Their first French-language release, Éphémère sans Repère, doesn’t disappoint. The EP consists of four tracks previously released in English, a cover of the traditional anthem “Un Canadien Errant,” and the original track “Le Cadeau.” Lines like “You’ve got to have a heart to have a broken one” are adeptly translated by Pierre Marchand and pack the same punch in French as in English. As on their previous releases, Doucet and McClelland’s chemistry is unmistakable. They play to one another, often sharing a microphone and engaging in back-and-forth on acoustic and electric guitars. The EP’s best offering is the title track. Its diverse instrumentation includes drumming with maracas, and recording and looping through a telephone which evokes a vintage sound. You’ll be singing along to catchy tracks like “Brisée” in no time, même si les chansons sont en français.
[rating:5]
-Caroline Cox