Rêver mieux

3.1 It's fine, bordering on extremely mediocre. I have no strong feelings (or tbh any feelings really) in any direction about this album. Second to last track was alright. Slightly Radiohead-ish. Climbed it up to 3.1

What will this be like? No recognition of album or art. Starting off well--evocative, laid-back, emotive. Verging on trippy. Gets a little a little Mel Torme loungey at times, but not too much so.

This was a very enjoyable listen. Really liked the orchestrations and compositions, his vocal performances are spot on, vibe is great, inviting but not safe, consistently interesting. Nice one.

Chill. Groovy. French. Not mind-blowing, but I liked it.

Great vibe for my Friday evening. Loved this

I enjoyed this quite a bit. Very pleasant and down tempo. I can’t understand the lyrics but the vocals fit very well as well.

France 🥰

In the mid/late 90s there was a whole genre of music in the UK that emerged out of Ibiza beaches, trip-hop and dance which was 'bar music' - mid tempo stuff that would gently get your foot tapping while not interrupting conversation. Vocals were hushed and the bass was always prominent, as here, along with the flute. This I feel would have fitted right into the compilations of the era, and several review have noted the link to Air, one of the flag-bearers of this type of music. So my foot gently tapped. The arrangements and grooves are not bad, but listen to the first minute of Fugue en Sol Inconnu and tell me it doesn't take you back to cargo pants, Stella Artois and bars with punny names like Bar None or The Cross Bar. 2.5 out of 5 (the Stella Artois score). Rounding down for length, sorry Quebec.

I really liked it. Maybe a bit less pop would have been better but this is still nice.

Beth Orton in French with added neo soul bits like flutes and horns to go with the classic strummy acoustic guitars & trip hop beats, but the vocals don't have the hushed charisma.

Not at all what I was expecting and the lack of understanding didn't seem to hurt too much either. I went in expecting some awful French pop music, but came out feeling that it was innocuous throughout and actually half-decent in some parts. Three stars.

I gave it a go, didn’t leave much of an impression besides the air of coolness that comes with listening to French language stuff (I don’t speak French)

Pleasant enough, and certainly adjacent to stuff I like a lot. Not sure I found it all that memorable, though. A low three.

s'endormir

Nice vocals and appropriate instruments

One of the greatest albums to come out of Quebec and so very justified to be found here. If you forget the language barrier, I consider it one of the greatest albums of the early 2000's and it still didn't age a bit!

Aika tylsä laululevy vaikka ranskaa arvostankin. 2/5

Québécois French pop. Not bad. Favourite songs: Rever Mieux, Tu Tombes, Fous N'importe Ou, Dans Un Spoutnik, Te Quitter Least favourite songs: Dis Tout Sans Rien Dire 3/5

There's a few really nice songs on this. Heard a lot worse on this list.

Bland pop music, also in French.

I really disliked this one and couldn't finish it.

Favorite Track: Te quitter

Two tracks in, I'm into this. Very light in tone, blending some late 90s sounding dance (particularly the drums and flute) with solid vocals and some dreamy guitar. Really big fan of Dans un spoutnik. Otherwise, this one sort of just washed over me. Felt a touch long, but was otherwise a pleasant inoffensive listen. This to me is high 3 to low 4 territory. Skewing up because it is a sunny day and it matched that vibe.

I feel like this had a 2:1 ratio of really nice songs to snoozers. Overall there were no bad songs, so it's a baseline 3, but there were definitely a sprinkling of songs that really caught my attention. Whether it was the electronics or the choice of instruments that caught my ear, it definitely had a unique but accessible vibe to it. Gonna listen to this one again when the boys get home from daycare.

Nice soothing music that just kind of came and went. Pretty much right down the middle 3

This had some cool sounds. Wish it wasn't so long, but enjoyed it for a Monday morning. Low 4.

Pretty decent stuff, little bit reminiscent of John Martyn at times?

I started the listening session ready to dislike this album, since I was expecting just a cover/mimic of the standard singer/songwriter, but in French. I could not be more wrong. Yes, in some sense, I was correct, but I was also completely wrong. It'll not become my favorite of all time, but it's really enjoyable. Extra star for selecting something outside the USA/UK gravity center of the list. It's always good to know some new songs.

A decent pop record that is more than surface level deep. Really enjoyed this.

Very pedestrian musak. Not my jam at all.

Chill, a little meloncholy maybe, nice arc through the music. Didn't understand but that's on me. Good share, enjoyable album.

beautiful music. Who knows whether it would be better or worse if I understood it.

The song styles were a bit schizophrenic.

A little better than standard pop.

There is some decent Québécois trip-hop and pop music here from Daniel Bélanger, but the vocal style doesn't always seem the right fit (it was apparently a new direction for him, so maybe it took some time to work it out).

Pretty heavy Air vibes on this one.

A nice album to let wash over the day when you’ve got no clue what they’re saying. It was a pleasant listen this morning. Good production. Not too much to catch my attention, but I enjoyed listening. 4/5

Well it wasn’t the worst thing I’ve heard but it was definitely mid. I just don’t really have anything to comment on. Nothing stood out, nothing was interesting.

This was an unexpectedly nice listen. My favourite tracks incorporate some synth/electronica/sequencer instrumentation; the purely organic ones sound a little dated and a bit more dull. Would have been better at around 45 minutes overall. Probably wouldn't be a favourite but as background/work music I could put this on again - with my ignorance of the language it works even better in Quebecois :P and makes it easier to just enjoy the overall music. 6/10 3 stars. IMO: Belonged in the original book? No.

french pop. hopefully optimistic, but I didn't understand a word or appreciate it much. 3 stars?

Pop en francés. Ni fu ni fa.

Pop music. Música pop francesa. Bastante rollo.

Like Air in places, very croony and cheesy in others.

Meh...whole lot of meh in this one. 2/5

not much here

Sometimes the right record hits at the right time; this is one of those records – serendipity would be the technical term, one thinks. Suited the mood and the day (which was grey and wintry and so which maybe called for something relatively restrained and anodyne) of hearing so rounding up. Plus, it’s tasteful and understated (especially “Intouchable et immortel”) and the list proper does, on balance, lack in those qualities. Maybe sounds a little too much like a Francais David Gray for comfort but otherwise pretty chill and a most pleasing listen. One suspects one wouldn’t be a superfan if one spoke French, though better than Celine Dion of course.

This is a pretty chill album, and it's nice to see some French Canadian representation on the list. Nothing that blows me away, but it is a nostalgic sound of my childhood.

I was hearing fin-de-siècle Björk, Dido, and Fiona Apple in this album, then I read the reviews and heard that Bélanger was heavily influenced by Beth Orton in making this disc and now I cannot unhear it. Like a light breakfast of black coffee and a perfect croissant - it’ll start your day off well but you’re going to be hungry for something more substantial in a few hours.

Not my bag

No

Not bad. Has a nice mellow sound, gentle lyrical delivery. Sadly I don't understand the lyrics which took away some of the enjoyment. Overall though it's pleasant and better than some of the crap on the standard list.

This is why I subscribe to this project, to listen to music that I would never get a chance to experience in my normal day to day. This was a lot of fun and quite enjoyable!

Nice music. Somehow, it still sounds odd to hear rock music in any language but English (though unaccountably, it's perfectly fine in folk), but I suppose that's just my parochialism.Whatever, this is clearly good stuff.

I enjoyed Rêver mieux, it's stylish and happy and sad in the same measure, language barrier is whatever, this has a real vibe to it. Te quitter is a strong opener, Fous n'importe ou follows it well, misses a few times after that but Air pur is brilliant towards the back end, and the title track is a nice acoustic number. 3/5, good.

What if Stereolab was French and really boring. Oh wait.

I really like this but I have one word in my mind.......Air. Still good chillin' music this. Pleasant and melodic. I ended up putting on Moon Safari afterwards.

As much as I relish the CanCon submitted here, I really should note my knowledge of Canadian Francophone artists is basically nil. Hence, I have heard OF Daniel but haven't heard a lick of his music. To make up for this deficit (and to actually make good on my desire to hear more Quebecois music) I'll additionally put on Quatre saisons dans le désordre (1996), ranked higher on CBC's list of greatest Canuck albums than Songs of Leonard Cohen & Jagged Little Pill. I'm really liking this earlier album of his so far! Still not literate enough to follow much of the lyrics, but the dynamic, lush production really suits his gentle songwriting. Quite different to the down-to-earth, 90's Canadian acts I know, such as the Hip, the Tea Party and Our Lady Peace. Okay, now Rêver mieux is on, and I'm getting quite a different impression- we're now caught up in the folktronica sphere which we've heard in the OG list from artists like David Gray and Beth Orton. I thought hearing two Belangers would enrich my enjoyment of both, but my bad- I think this one was overshadowed by Quatre saisons. Not because the songwriting is worse- his flair for catchy choruses is just as apparent here- I'm just not as big on the aesthetic choices this time around. I go back and forth on that lounge pop/downtempo style that was big in the late '90s and early aughts. Maybe if I actually pull off practicing the language in the "French quarter" of my city, I can return and appreciate his lyrics as well, which from the YouTube comments are no small part of his legacy. 3.5/5 HL: "Une femme", "Un chanson pour moi", "Intouchable et immortel", title track, "Comme des amants" June 25, 2025 (June 21 for his other album)

Quite nice.

Chilled French Canadian singer backed with some electronica. Interesting.

Nice to see something from Québec ! Classic album for sure, even if it’s a little too pop for my personal taste.

Pretty nice

Its cool but I didn't find it was super compelling.

This Québécois pop album with distinctive indie and electro-lounge flourishes often straddles the fine line between airy, easy-on-the ear aesthetics and... plain muzak. Some of the arrangements and chord progressions are impressive and effective, don't get me wrong (there are a lot of minor-major modulations, which I'm always a sucker for). The thing is, I think I would probably be more attracted to those songs if Daniel Bélanger had a deeper, stronger voice, and also displayed less mannerisms with in his performance, adding to moments where he sounds a little out of breath, oddly enough. Rêver mieux ? Chanter mieux aussi. I rarely say that sort of thing, because, you know, singers have the timber that nature has given them, and the vast majority of the professional vocal performers mentioned in these lists of notable LPs manage to bypass their potential limitations to offer something personal and effective as they sing. But here, the vocals don't quite work for me. Also, some of the lyrics sound a little daft at times. But I guess you can file that under my own "pet peeves" dossier -- ones I often have when it comes to the use of my native language in pop and rock, when I'm suddenly a little more picky. Now if someone from Québec (or elsewhere) suggested a Corridor album in this list, my tune would be vastly different. Hope someone does one day. Salut les cousins ! 2.5/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums, rounded up to 3. 7.5/10 for more general purposes (5 + 2.5) Number of albums from the original list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 465 Albums from the original list I *might* include in mine later on: 288 Albums from the original list I won't include in mine: 336 ---- Number of albums from the users list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 14 Albums from the users list I *might* select for mine later on: 20 Albums from the users list I won't select for mine: 39 (including this one)

Mixed feelings about this one. On the one hand, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the Quebecois version of David Gray, but on the other hand, I couldn't help but think I was listening to the Quebecois version of David Gray. If it'd come out two or three years earlier, and therefore not right at the time that White Ladder was the biggest selling album of the forever, it'd be an incredible album. But I'm pretty sure that White Ladder got played in Montreal cafes, which makes this ever so slightly less impressive.

Enjoyed it enough.

Not my kind of music

It’s nice to hear “World Music” suggested by people from all around the world, rather than by some middle aged white guy from Croydon.

Cool French rock

It's difficult to give credit to foreign language outcomes that you can't follow, and it's even harder when the genre is easy listening.

Pas mon préféré de Bélanger, mais 4 étoiles juste pour avoir un album québécois de suggéré ! To any people outside from Quebec that liked this, I really recommend checking other records of his, especially "Les Insomniaques S'amusent" and "Quare Saisons Dans Le Désordre". Otherwise if you are curious about listening other local beloved artists check out Harmonium, Les Colocs or Les Cowboys Fringants.

That time that Ed Sheeran and David Gray jizzed into a baguette on top of the Eiffel Tower.

Lovely atmosphere. Reminds me a lot of what Radiohead was doing around this time, and the likes of various British trip-hop artists (Portishead most specifically). Made for excellent cooking and reading music, though I was ready to move on by the end. Favorite tracks: "Chante encore", "Intouchable et immortel"

Nice beats, textures and overall atmosphere. So chill!

Looking into the background of this album, I realised there is no Quebecois music. Maybe there is and I forgot but something from that area should be included. Come to think of it, there is no Celine Dion? She is definitely worthy of having something on here. As for this, it again follows my complaint of electronic music for this list. It's long and never really does anything unique or interesting. It was fine and pleasant to listen to, but far from essential listening or having much impact on the music industry. My personal rating: 3/5 My rating relative to the list: 3/5 Should this have been included on the original list? No

Really enjoyed this today!

Wonderful! Merci!

I’m all for some musique Quebeçois en Français - so I was predisposed to like this. It started off really good, but by the end (with the meditative Intouchable et Immortel then Fugue en Sol Inconnu) I was really digging the groovy electronic music, the flute, and meditative feel of it all. Great stuff!

It kind of started to blend together for me around song 4. He's got a pleasant enough voice, but the composition of the music was mostly flat tending towards dreamlike sequences.

An interesting mix somewhere in the David Gray, James Blunt vibe, albeit in French. Easy to listen to and appreciated for being a bit different. The title track, Rever Mieux stood out for me.

No idea what he’s saying but enjoyed the vibes on this album, good addition to the list.

This is one of the better foreign films I’ve had to listen to while doing this list. I wish I understood French to better understand this album because this had everything I would like in an album. It was chill, catchy, simple yet unique. Really the only drawback was I had no idea what’s going on. 5.4/10

Pop en francés. Ni fu ni fa.

It’s been a while since I’ve had some good French music like this. Not ambient house or any weird shit, just solid French music.

Even more French than Air.

Hard no for me, dawg. I love that Quebecois music is getting some recognition, but I hate this kind of thing. It's dreary and whiny and doesn't get me hard.

Eww French

It was nice. Felt like a more modern twist on old chanson stuff. Not an all timer, but very pleasant. Wish I could understand more of the lyrics to hear of it has the wit of a Brel or a Gainsbourg.

beautiful and soft while mixed with electronica style. very much enjoyed

Nice!

Daniel Bélanger was new to me. Good pop songs and just that extra taste by using some electronics.

got better as it went on

This was beautiful! I was hoping to hear more music that wasn't from the US or UK, so thank you for submitting this one!

French Rufus Wainwright?

On dirait Bondé Maison francais. C'est bien! Rating: 3.5 Playlist track: Rêver mieux Date listened: 01/08/24

Overall a very pleasant listen, but a bit slow moving. I was ready for it to be done well before it was over, but I enjoyed it. Fave Songs: Fugue en sol inconnu, Dis tout sans rien dire, Fous n'importe où, Te quitter, Dans un spoutnik, Chante encore

I’m not really sure how to judge this album. It washed over me for the most part and was fairly forgettable. There were some moments that I found very beautiful but overall it blended together.

Rating: 6/10 Best songs: Dans un spoutnik

Vaguely interesting french language folk pop mixed with trip hop.

Merci à celui qui l'a soumis. I am sure I am missing a lot because I don't speak French. This music though is quite nice. I really enjoy the album - there are a couple of especially nice songs. "Dis tout sans rien dire" I absolutely love. It translates to "Say everything without saying anything." Standouts: Te quitter, Dis tout sans rien dire, Dans un spoutnik, 4/5

This LP commits the cardinal sin of media in that it's boring, through and through. I don't care if the gentle, lulling guitar is well done, or that the touch of synths adds a dimension to the instrumentation – this is a flat, one-dimensional hour of a French man gently talking over what amounts to default iMovie backing tracks. I can understand why someone would enjoy this, but I can't do so myself.