Biography
Contemplate the silence with Jimmy Hunt’s all-new album. We’d almost given up on expecting a new release from Hunt, with all the years that have passed since his last offering. Le silence follows the artist’s self-titled Jimmy Hunt (2010), a folk album informed by the sounds of the past, and Maladie d’amour (2013), an indisputable masterpiece of Quebec pop, which fuses the suave ’70s euphony of Gainsbourg and Christophe with the more contemporary influences of Sébastien Tellier and Katerine.
Le silence is about Jimmy’s new life in a remote region, and, most importantly, about the last moments he spent with his father before his eternal rest. It is through silence—the central theme of the album—that he tells his story. Using words, Jimmy Hunt invokes the passage of time to deal with his loss, to clear his mind of all thought, in silence.
In a 2011 interview, Jimmy Hunt already spoke about wanting to move away from urban life and rock ’n’ roll excess, not unlike one Neil Young. He’s managed to do so, both in his music and in his lifestyle. Although he questions his status as an artist on Chocolat’s Jazz engagé, Jimmy Hunt is undeniably an Artist—one of the most significant ones of his generation. He would likely be reluctant to embrace such recognition, but credit must be given where credit is due. Let us all take advantage of the apocalyptic silence of 2020 to listen to the silence of a real artist, Jimmy Hunt.
Contemplate the silence with Jimmy Hunt’s all-new album. We’d almost given up on expecting a new release from Hunt, with all the years that have passed since his last offering. Rest assured: the wait will have been worth it.
Le silence follows the artist’s self-titled Jimmy Hunt (2010), a folk album informed by the sounds of the past, and Maladie d’amour (2013), an indisputable masterpiece of Quebec pop, which fuses the suave ’70s euphony of Gainsbourg and Christophe with the more contemporary influences of Sébastien Tellier and Katerine.
Haunted by loss and by physical and mental solitude, the charismatic frontman of Chocolat takes authenticity to a whole new level on his latest opus, which stands out as one of his most significant works yet. He often delivers his lyrics in spoken word, with a vulnerability that’s disarmingly palpable. When he sings, one cannot mistake his iconic, nonchalant voice, and his unique ability to infuse Quebec French with notes of elegance. Clocking in at just under 25 minutes, Le silence is a super synthesis of everything Jimmy Hunt does best. The album marks a return to a minimalist, country-folk sound that’s closer to Neil Young than Dylan. The songs are guided by melancholy pedal steel guitar, hushed layers of synthesizers, and the sounds of nature that are part of his daily life.
Le silence began to take form when Jimmy Hunt left Montreal for good in 2018 to settle alone in the woods of Maria, in the Gaspésie region. With a network that is often unreliable, he began to practise a form of voluntary social distancing, well before it was imposed on everyone in 2020. The gestation of the album proved difficult due to the delicate themes addressed, and challenges were also faced with the recording itself. The very first recording, a lo-fi demo created with GarageBand, was long considered the definitive version of the album. But despite this early recording’s emotional intensity, Jimmy remained unsatisfied with the lack of depth in the sound. Thus, he decided to do a proper studio recording of the material, but he had to find the approach that was best suited to the songs. The final version of Le silence was recorded in the darkness of the 2019 winter solstice, a few days before Christmas. These “soothing” sessions, to use the artist’s words, were recorded at the studio of Steeven Chouinard (Le couleur), with whom Hunt had never worked beforehand. Other new collaborators include Benoit Parent (keyboard), Patrick Gosselin from Le couleur (pedal steel), and Mico Roy from Les Hôtesses d’Hilaire (guitar). Rounding out the band are Maxime Castellon (bass), and José Major (drums), who have been collaborating with Hunt since Maladie d’amour.
Le silence is about Jimmy’s new life in a remote region, and, most importantly, about the last moments he spent with his father before his eternal rest. It is through silence—the central theme of the album—that he tells his story. On “Mental,” which recalls the sensitive folk of Maladie d’amour’s title track, the singer-songwriter muses about the emotional silence that often exists in a relationship; people talk about the weather, the falling leaves, but never about the real stuff going on inside their heads. The album concludes with the haunting title track, “Le silence,” whose repeated melodic pattern fades out, giving way to the sounds of the Ouareau River. The infectious drum beat enhances this repetition effect. The result is a cathartic conclusion that invites the listener to play the album on repeat. Using words, Jimmy Hunt invokes the passage of time to deal with his loss, to clear his mind of all thought, in silence.
que l’hiver vienne
couvrir les montagnes d’une couche épaisse de blanc
penser à rien
le silence
-Le silence
(may winter come
and cover the mountains with a thick coat of white
to think of nothing
the silence)
In a 2011 interview, Jimmy Hunt already spoke about wanting to move away from urban life and rock ’n’ roll excess, not unlike one Neil Young. He’s managed to do so, both in his music and in his lifestyle. Although he questions his status as an artist on Chocolat’s Jazz engagé, Jimmy Hunt is undeniably an Artist—one of the most significant ones of his generation. He would likely be reluctant to embrace such recognition, but credit must be given where credit is due. Let us all take advantage of the apocalyptic silence of 2020 to listen to the silence of a real artist, Jimmy Hunt.
