* En anglais uniquement
Flemish composer/singer/songwriter
Jan Swerts self-released his debut album Weg (Road) in 2010 to considerable critical acclaim in his home country. His deeply melancholy, minimalist piano music, subtly framed by beautiful string and woodwind arrangements, artfully blended the contemporary classical sounds of
Sylvain Chauveau,
Jóhann Jóhannsson, and
Max Richter with the confessional folk-pop songwriting of
Joni Mitchell and
Nick Drake, with the sometimes heart-rending results -- titled in Flemish, but sung entirely in English -- most strongly recalling the work of
Dakota Suite. His second album, Anatomie van de Melancholie (Anatomy of Melancholy), was released in 2013 and featured much richer, more detailed arrangements that occasionally ventured into jazz. ~ John D. Buchanan