Laurie LeBlanc - When It's Right It's Right (2020)

For the tenth anniversary of his solo career, New Brunswick country singer Laurie LeBlanc paid for himself, as they say in Tremblay's language; an album of original compositions entirely in English, recorded with the help of shoe sizes.

Laurie LeBlanc does not need a presentation for country lovers from Acadia, Quebec and Ontario. After singing with the group Cajun Zarico, he released half a dozen solo albums in French and was successful with the songs La pitoune and Moi-itou mojito.

Ironically, it was during a trip to France that the idea for a 100% English album came to light. A meeting with internationally renowned songwriter Don Mescall (Rascal Flatts, Backstreet Boys) at a conference resulted in text proposals for the future album. LeBlanc called on Jason Barry, who worked with Charlie Major and Terri Clark, two big names on the Canadian country scene, to do the impeccable work.

Make no mistake, the warm country pop sound of When It’s Right, It’s Right is directly inspired by the man who has made Nashville's reputation for several years. The Nashville of honky tonks bars, that of Tim McGraw and Luke Bryan or, even more retro, that of Kenny Rogers and Charley Pride. Laurie LeBlanc was lulled by this music and this culture, and this new album is a reflection of it.

Without denaturing himself, the singer adopted the codes of American country pop with the rhythms, the tones and the themes of songs that come with it. Simple pleasures, romance, ruptures, sorrow drowned in alcohol, all sung with undisguised pleasure and real sincerity. Beautiful work.

A virtual show to highlight the album's landement and its 10-year career will be presented on its Facebook page on Saturday June 6 at 7:30 p.m.