Nicolas Michaux Brings Peace of Mind for U.S. Debut
If you live in the United States, the name Nicolas Michaux might not ring a bell. However, that may soon change as he is set to release his first album in the United States.
Michaux, a Belgian singer-songwriter and music producer, received critical acclaim for his 2016 debut album À la vie, à la mort. He followed up that album with 2020’s Amour Colère and 2021’s Les Chutes. Michaux’s music deftly blends various musical traditions, influenced by such styles as French chanson, American singer-songwriters, rock, and more. His music features lyrics in both French and English.
Michaux’s latest effort, Vitalisme LP, is set for release on October 18th via Capitane Records. Ahead of the LPs release, the single “Peace of Mind # 2” is being released today to streaming platforms everywhere. According to Michaux, the song began “as part of a socio-cultural project led by BOZAR (a cultural venue) in Brussels“.
Instrumentally, the backbone of the song features funk-inspired guitar, bass, drums, and bongos. This is supplemented with a warm, clean lead guitar weaving licks throughout, playfully dancing under Michaux’s voice.
Lyrically, the song presents an interesting dichotomy. The verses live in French spoken-word lyrics. These verses are told from the first-person view and weave together stories of a troubled youth filled seemingly with loneliness, doctors visits, and rebellion. There is a sense of sad reflection in the lyrics.
The choruses take a dramatic shift, however. The repeated refrain, “But I found some kind of peace of mind in your arms” brings the listener forward in time. No longer reflecting on the past, but living in the present, the lyrics present the singer as sharing that they have found a reprieve from their past when they are with this person. Vocally, the chorus also makes a stark shift by transitioning from spoken word, to a haunting falsetto that interjects the emotional state they are projecting in sharing their peace with this person.
The bridge shifts the song again to a new level. Still singing in falsetto, Michaux pushes his vocals even higher. This new sound is reflective of the pleading lyrics, our subject pleading with this person (“Please don’t turn me down, no don’t turn me down, cause I’ll never get through it”). The emotions spill into his performance in this moment, creating a high point of the song (literally and figuratively).
After the bridge, the song comes back to a final verse that is still in the present, but returns to the more reflective prose of the early verses. A guitar solo draws the song to it’s ultimate conclusion.
You can find “Peace of Mind #2” on streaming platforms today. Vitalism LP is available on October 18th via Capitane Records.
You can find more about Nicolas Michaux at www.nicholasmichaux.net, on Instagram @nicolas_michaux, and Bandcamp at https://nicolasmichaux.bandcamp.com.