Un trou dans les nuages marks the point where Michel Rivard’s folk-schooled songcraft, soundtrack work and acting experience perfectly coalesce. It’s unmistakably ’80s adult contemporary pop—dig the synth chimes of “C’est un mur” and pan-flute flourishes of “Loup y es-tu?”—given unexpected new dimensions by Rivard’s masterful melodicism, cinematic sensibility and impassioned performances. The album title refers to a hole in the clouds, and soft-focus serenades like “Ma blonde et les poissons” and “Je voudrais voir la mer” are the rays of light beaming through.