Montag

Montreal laptop wunderkind Antoine Bedard has gained a sizable following and positive reviews with his Depeche Mode-/New Order-inspired bedroom pop. This download-only mini-album, conceptually titled Hibernation, plays more like a career stopgap than a change in direction. Influenced by his upbringing in Nunavik, Quebec as much by his wintry return to Montreal after living in Vancouver for a few years, Hibernation features the same filter-heavy, sprawling, barren soundscapes that made albums like Fennesz's Endless Summer and Eluvium's Copia such emotionally-charged works. Averaging less than two minutes each, Montag's approach to these songs is no doubt unusual, wrapping up singular ideas or themes before they have time to gestate within your psyche. Although the concept may eclipse the material, Hibernation shows Montag as an artist who has a good grasp on his craft, spelling mood and passion in a way his peers would never attempt.