Philippe B

Somewhere between the sophisticated songwriting of Leonard Cohen and Jacques Brel, the rugged folk of Bob Dylan and Neil Young, the acoustic pop of Simon & Garfunkel, and the haunting melancholy of Nick Drake and Elliott Smith, there is Philippe B, who reminds us of the depth that can be conveyed with nothing more than a guitar and a few words. Released recently, Cigale, his seventh album, shows him at his rawest and most personal; drawing inspiration from his early adulthood, Philippe illustrates the reality of a young musician who is struggling to make a living from his art.