Madhoney expertly creates a genre diverse debut record, "Madhoney"
Review by Austin Sher
Released on the 1st of December, we’ve instantly become impressed with the self-titled debut record from Madhoney. Do yourselves a huge favor and read along with us as we share our detailed thoughts on the album, as well as a background on the talented independent artist as well.
Madhoney, also known as Philippe Look, is a multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter and producer who has managed to put out one of our favorite releases of the year. Making art within the Montreal music scene, as well as accumulating experiences and successes for decades, Philippe has moonlit as both a live performer and a master musician.
According to the artist, his “aim is to create an outlet from which to release music without preconceptions or restrictions.” Influenced by artists such as Prince, Stevie Wonder, Sly Stone & Lenny Kravitz, he has managed to take the best parts of those legends and add in his own signature sound to the music he produces. On this debut record, he’s instantly got us beyond excited to hear whatever else he releases in the hopefully near future. While we’d never want to rush an artist into pushing out more, we’re definitely looking forward to the next drop of music.
Coming in at 7 songs, spanning 30 wonderful minutes, Madhoney is a fusion of indie rock, soul, funk, and tiny glimmers of other notable genres as well. We can only assume that Philippe and his multi-instrumentalist skills are behind all the compelling and uniquely blended sounds that feature on the record. What we loved the most about was how on each song, it could be a completely different mood or atmosphere created, yet still retained the overall cohesiveness that an album should.
While it would be quite difficult to pick a favorite track off the listen, we were quite partial to the opener “I Hurt”, “Maybe You Know?”, and the closer “Once An Abiding Id”. That’s not to discount any of the other fantastic songs featured, but like any listen, the listener is bound to have some of their favorites. With that being said though, we’re beyond impressed with the selection of songs chosen. Considering the artist has been involved in the music scene for a while now, we’re thrilled that he’s finally got a project to call his own.
What we’re trying to say here is that we’re highly recommending and suggesting you take a listen! All of the important links to follow along, listen, and more can be found below. Enjoy!
Like what you read? Follow our social media for the latest in independent music: