Alphonse Bisaillon’s t.o.m. ou la trajectoire des perséides comes out of Montreal’s Quebecois chanson and pop scene, with a full band setup that leaves room for stranger colours. Bisaillon handles the lead vocals, piano, Wurlitzer and some synthesizers, backed by guitar, drums, bass and double bass. The arrangements also bring in the Esca string quartet, with violins, viola and cello appearing across several tracks, plus group vocals and podorythmie from David Boulanger, Michel Bordeleau and Eric Beaudry. That combination suggests a record built as much around arrangement as around the words.
The tracklist has an almost theatrical shape, with three numbered pieces breaking up songs such as “dubstep et le fantôme secret de Saint-Hyacinthe”, “Mr. Freeze au valium” and “t.o.m. au miroir”. Gabriel Desjardins shares production and arrangements with Bisaillon, and takes on much of the synthesizer work, while the record was recorded at Studio Dandurand and in the pair’s respective basements. Guillaume Chartrain mixed it there, with mastering by Philip Gosselin at Le Lab Mastering. It’s a paid release with CD and vinyl editions, suited to anyone drawn to Quebec pop that puts piano, strings, voices and studio detail in the same frame.
