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Bobby Bazini’s latest album, Seul au cinéma, marks the Quebec singer-songwriter’s first full-length album in French, a surprising fact considering the artist's significant Francophone fanbase. Built around his familiar blend of soul, folk, and soft-rock warmth, the record leans into a more intimate, cinematic mood than its more beach-dwelling predecessor, Pearl.

Off the Record: Pearl (2023)

Despite his up-and-comer aesthetic, Bobby Bazini is a Canadian music industry veteran with over two decades as a signed artist and four albums to his credit. As a francophone who opts for English lyrics, his audiences hail from every corner of Canada and beyond. This August will see the release of his latest concept album, Pearl. Bazini found inspiration for the album after reading an article about pearl formation, interpreting the process as a metaphor for creating beauty out of life’s difficulties (yes, that was a pandemic reference). Watery allusions are woven into the album’s music, including modified pitching to emulate underwater acoustics, the use of seashells as percussive instruments — an innovation courtesy of drummer Robbie Kuster — and the inclusion of natural ocean sounds recorded by Bazini himself. 

Pearl — a homecoming of sorts for the Québec-born artist — was not recorded in the usual London or Los Angeles studios that Bazini had visited for previous albums. Instead, recording took place at a forest-encircled studio in Sainte-Adèle, Québec, mere minutes from his home. Freed from the tight schedule that a trip to a foreign recording studio would impose, Bazini and his collaborators had ample time for creative exploration. Much like a real pearl, the album was created through a process of accretion. Building on elements from his original demos, each musician’s contribution added a new layer to the songs, ensconcing the original sketches in rich and revealing instrumentation. 

Coming off a solid decade of touring before the pandemic, with all the days away from home, Pearl was an opportunity to make connections in his home province. The result is a local community Bazini hopes he can continue cultivating, his experience creating Pearl having stirred his interest in Québec’s music scene.