Julien Marchal - Insight (2015)

Sometimes you need something introspective to just get you through those moments and pianist Julien Marchal certainly has a deep sensitivity and appreciation for the instrument he commands and the audio space he possesses during the extremely short but flawless EP “Insight”.

The four tracks numbered I, II, III & IV take the piano and lays it bare. You can hear the gentle playing, the hammers hitting some of the notes, the gentle creaks of the underbelly of the ivories and it sounds so intimate and up close, it’s almost like you are part of the inner sanctum of the piano itself. The melodies are achingly beautiful and tearjerky – the kind Agnes Obel would aim for if she released a piano solo album. The high notes are muted so they don’t pierce your ears, the low notes are so soft they are muffled pillows more than rumbles. I’m sure you can hear Julian’s fingers actually moving across the keys. It’s funny what a certain production twist can do for an artist – the melodies would be enough as they are – but this production takes the release to a whole new level.

Julien Marchal’s piano playing is exquisite. As he walks the line between classical and contemporary he utterly pulls you in. Each song is suitably short however and the EP is over within nine minutes. Those nine minutes are utter heaven though and any piano fan would lap this up. I can’t wait to see what Marchal does next.