Quebec’s best crossover rockers, Malajube, face increased expectations for their third full-length, Labyrinthes. They’ve responded with more ambitious songwriting and scope, even while admitting that nothing comes easy, particularly in parts of the world that speak their language. They reveal an uneasiness with the two solitudes of their adopted Montreal home, even while they play into and against francophone stereotypes the world over. Exclaim! Feb '09 Malajube cover story

Having lived in Ontario all my life I never thought I’d see the day when I’d curse the TDSB’s handling of the French program because of a band. If there’s anything that makes me wish I’d taken those last couple years of French in high school; as opposed to taking a TV course that got its second year yanked out from under us, it’s Malajube.

The funny thing is that they’re not trying to champion the music industry by singing in French, Julien Mineau their lead singer, just thinks he sounds like an asshole trying to sing in English, at least so I’ve heard. Fair enough, there’s too many people as far as I’m concerned who try to eschew their native tongue and sing in English because that’s the language they’ve been bombarded with musically between England and North America.

So perhaps feeling like an asshole isn’t such a bad thing, it’s allowed them to comfortably make their music, focus on how it sounds and still have commercial success outside of Quebec. I’ll admit I was never particularly interested in French music growing up, I’d avoid listening to it on the drive up to Montreal to visit family, and I’d click past Musiqueplus in a heart beat. So perhaps I’ve missed out on a lot of what was going on. MORE