Our Pick - Colette Trudeau

Artist—Colette Trudeau
Song—Freeze
Album—Colette Trudeau
Label—Independent

Back in the late 1970’s, an artist named Pat Benatar broke the airwaves with a music style few women had ventured into and survived.  Benatar proved year after year that she could rock with the best of them, scoring hit after hit and demonstrating that women had a place in the rock music industry.  But over the decades, there have not been many iconic women rockers.  As I listen to this album release from Colette Trudeau, I’m reminded of those days when rock and roll was ruled by men and women sang nice songs.  Colette’s debut album is full of songs supported by power chord guitar riffs traditionally associated with the music from 80’s rock bands who ruled what is today fondly remembered as classic rock.  Colette’s voice easily compares with female artists who are more widely known – it is an instrument possessing consistent power and tone.  The opening song “I Don’t Wanna Know” is clearly designed for radio – it’ll stick in your head long after it ends.† But then, there are a number of songs like that on this CD - my personal favorite is “Freeze” due to its catchy vocal and melody.  Colette covers a few ballads too, expressing typical sentiments of the young with songs of love and desire, relationships, trust and loyalty, hopes and dreams.  To sum up this CD, Colette Trudeau is refreshing, uplifting, cheerful, and confident, all offered with a strong commercial rock sound.  I look forward to her next release and hope that the rock persona this Métis singer/songwriter projects is as genuine as it feels on this one.

Review by K. Kanten