Leonard Cohen isn’t really dead. It’s indeed hard to dive into Warhaus’ music without thinking about the dead Canadian songwriter’s depressive and singular world. A truly fake band, Warhaus is actually the solo project of Maarten Devoldere from the band Balthazar. First album from this Belgian entity released in 2016, We Fucked A Flame Into Being didn’t hide its connection with the author of Hallelujah. It’s an influence that Devoldere combines with his own very personal style. An ode to love, with all its excess and ephemerality, these songs celebrate the unfathomable nature of various encounters and pay homage to the decadence and intensity that life can provide. Maarten Devoldere prolongs these sentiments in his second disc soberly titled Warhaus. With the other voice of his project, his partner Sylvie Kreusch, he polishes up this captivating melancholic-depressive style that unfolds on beautiful arrangements and a fascinating instrumentarium. Written during a memorable retreat in Kirghizstan and recorded afterwards in Belgium, this second chapter sometimes seems to be vaccinated by the good old Dr. John—another idol of Devoldere—whose voodoo emanations surround some of the tracks… Without a doubt, Warhaus has an impressive gift. © MZ/Qobuz