I’ve been a fan of Coeur de Pirate (Beatrice Martin) for years now, and a lot of her charm came from the fact that she sang in French. The beauty of the language and the cultural references added strength to her music and complemented her wistful lyrics and soft voice. With her new album, Roses, she seems to be attempting to cross into the Anglophone market and broadening her appeal within Canada and internationally.
In true Canadian fashion, she started off her set at The Commodore by saying that she was going to do a bilingual show, repeating everything she said in both official languages. I’m glad that more people are discovering this talented musician now that English speakers are listening, but I felt like many people in the crowd were waiting for the English tunes they had heard on the radio. I was doing the opposite.
Coeur opened with “Then I’ll Fall,” one of the English tracks off her latest album, and followed up with a few classics from her self-titled debut and Blonde. With black and white projections behind her and expressive arm and hand choreography, Coeur performed with sincerity and passion.
Highlights of the show for me were “Saint-Laurent,” which she described as being the song for anyone who’s ever been lonely at a bar, and “Comme des enfants,” which is painfully romantic. She also did a Rolling Stones cover of “Dead Flowers” which sounded great and was a captivating rendition with her slightly raspy voice. Coeur explained that “Way Back Home” was written for her daughter, and she hopes that it will make up for her career that takes her away from home so much.
The show was a good blend of French classics and new English songs that kept the crowd happy. Her current single, “Carry On” was saved for the encore, and I think that might be the song many people were waiting to hear. I hope she always carries on and never loses her Francophone charm.
