Excerpts

The long-awaited follow-up to his 2005 self-titled effort, Excerpts - the latest from Montreal-based Olivier Alary's Ensemble - gorgeously occupies the middle ground between lush orchestration, absorbing pop, guitar-indie, experimental sonics and beyond. Though Excerpts offers no obvious or straightforward reference points, it is an album full of maturity, sophistication and romance, intricately and timelessly constructed. Reference points range from Matthew Herbert's sublime eccentricity, Yann Tierson's gentle nods to chanson francaise, or even the finale of "A Day in the Life" from Sgt. Pepper in its dense, unconventional take on pop music - but behind Alary's musical charms is an overarching, unique personality that interweaves wide-ranging musical cultures and influences. Alary has collaborated with Lou Barlow and Cat Power on previous Ensemble releases, has co-written songs with and done remixes for Bjork, and composed award-winning music for multiple feature films, documentaries, art installations and exhibitions.