Rich Aucoin

'Ephemeral' (album stream)

BY Sarah MurphyPublished Sep 2, 2014

Popsmith, party starter and Exclaim! cover boy Rich Aucoin returns with Ephemeral on September 9, but you can listen to the full album on Exclaim.ca right now.

The past few years have been filled with parachutes and confetti for Aucoin, who spent most of his time on the road in support of his excellent debut album We're All Dying to Live.

Keeping in line with Aucoin's tendency towards the experimental, though, the new material syncs with the 1979 claymation adaptation of The Little Prince, but holds up perfectly well on its own as well. The music is all about bringing people together, despite the inevitable universal feelings of loneliness and loss.

"This album was written to explore the same concepts and themes contained in Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's densely filled children's novella; themes of the ephemerality of human existence, the absurdity of life, the values placed upon the pursuit of power, wealth and knowledge," Aucoin says. "Isolation and relationships are a big focus in the book and the record and the realization that our relationships are the most important part of our short existence."

The new LP still features crowd-pleasing "sharp dance pop" and is sure to translate well into the outstanding live shows that the Halifax singer-songwriter is known for. Ephemeral boasts party anthems like the Mick Guzauski-produced "Want to Believe," but also acknowledges the low points that come with living large ("Four More Years").

The range of themes are all brought together cohesively on Aucoin's sophomore effort, which you can read more about in the cover story of Exclaim!'s September issue. Fans can also experience the new material live at the upcoming, party-inducing shows, which are listed below. Scroll past the tour dates for your first listen to the anticipated Ephemeral, which arrives on September 9 via Bonsound.

Tour dates:

08/28 Rouyn-Noranda, QC – FMEAT

09/05 Quebec City, QC - Envol et Macadam

09/06 Montreal, QC - OUMF Festival

09/11-14 Victoria, BC - Rifflandia

09/16 Vancouver, BC - Fortune Sound Club

09/17 Edmonton, AB - The Starlite

09/18 Calgary, AB - Commonwealth Stage
09/23 Brooklyn, NY – Glasslands Gallery
09/24 Boston, MA – Great Scott

10/03 Kingston, ON – TBA
10/16 Moncton, NB – Tide and Boar Pub
10/17 St. John, NB – Pepper's Pub
10/18 Charlottetown, PEI – PEI Brewing Co.
10/23 Halifax, NS – Halifax Pop Explosion

 

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