PIERRE VERVLOESEM - FLAMBANT NEUF

• pierre vervloesem: flambant neuf
      (2021, cd, bel, off records)

Last year, Pierre Vervloesem released a Bandcamp download-only album each month. You didn't hear me complaining as some of these were really great.
Earlier this week, however, Pierre released "Flambant Neuf". Not just as a download-only album, but as a real CD.

The astonishing artwork by Thierry Mondelaers might need a bit of explanation: 'Flambant' = brand-new, or burning.  And 'Burning' or 'Fire' translates in the Flemisch language as 'Brand'.
The number nine on the cover is 'Neuf' in French, but 'Neuf' also means 'New'.

All this to say that it's "Flambant Neuf".
And it's brand-new.

The liner notes on Bandcamp tell us:
Pierre Vervloesem's Flambant Neuf is the return of Pierre in a quintet format. Surrounded by some of the best Belgian musicians with whom he shared music already in various bands ( Bruno Vansina band, Flat Earth Society, Pierre Vervloesem Group...), Pierre allowed everyone to add what they wanted on his tracks then mixed the music to a grand spectacle which reminds various styles but with a definitive modern and vigorous joy behind them!

The album features Teun Verbruggen (drums), Falk Schrauwen (percussion), Thomas Mayade (trumpet, flugelhorn, keyboard), Bruno Vansina (sax, keyboard) and Pierre Vervloesem (guitar, bass).

In one word, the result is amazing !
Odd meters, exotic melodies, modern jazz,... I love it.
This just might be one of the best albums I've heard all year.

This album definitely needed to be released on CD. And I can only hope that we will be able to see this music being performed in concert !

Check this out ! You need to hear this.
And don't wait too long if you want a CD as there's only 300 copies being produced.