Perséides

Over the course of her first five studio albums, Cœur de pirate, aka Montreal singer-songwriter Béatrice Martin, cooed and crooned her way through hymns of love and longing. But after having vocal cord surgery earlier this year, she was robbed of the angelic voice that made her famous—thankfully, only temporarily. During her recovery, she turned to the instrument that has been her steady accompaniment, and soon a whole new album emerged: 10 breathtaking neo-classical piano compositions, every bit as captivating as anything she has ever recorded. The record is named after the Perseids meteor shower, "because just like falling stars, it's an album of its time that doesn't last long," Martin tells Apple Music. Each of these suites is dedicated to a Quebec town she visited with her family as a child. Prim opener "Sacré-Coeur" is full of hope and promise, balancing a wide-eyed melody and a gently galloping rhythm. "Frelighsburg" is particularly delicate and steeped in a melancholic mood, as is the subtly dramatic "Saint-Irénée". Even without her ethereal voice, it’s a record that sounds unmistakably like Cœur de pirate.