Coming to you from Toulouse, France this week is Les Pianos Sauvages‘ Et dans la nuit la plus profonde. This album is the result of one year of hard work by Augustin Charnet, the band’s only member.

Opening with “introduction,” a three and a half minute long track that consists of the sound of someone walking somewhere that ends with the sound of running water, the album starts off with my main qualm. “introduction,” I think, is meant to lead you gently and imperceptibly into the ebb and flow of the music to come, which is an admirable endeavour, but three and a half minutes of walking is about three minutes too long for my taste, and for many people it might be an immediate turn-off. However, “introduction” blends straight into “ruisseau,” the song I prefer to call the opening track. With its ethereal piano and quiet sounds of rushing water, “ruisseau” leads you into a mystical world, inviting you to lose yourself to the music and to relax.  “birds” comes next, another ethereal track with the sounds of chirping birds throughout. It’s a pleasant listen, but nothing compared to the rest of the album.

Et dans la nuit la plus profonde really gets started with the fourth track, “elegy (tribute to sigur ros).” From here, the piano becomes much more melodic, flowing from song to song, carrying you softly over beautiful scenery. It feels as though you’re floating through a painting by Monet. The piano is at times melancholic, at times joyful, and always passionate.

As a debut album, Et dans la nuit la plus profonde is truly impressive. Augustin poured his heart and soul into the music, and you can feel that when you listen. If you’ve got anything on your mind, a good book to read, a rainy night, and some candles, I highly recommend listening to this album. It’s free on Bandcamp, which is an amazing deal for 50 minutes of gorgeous ambient music.