Taking on a chorus as accompaniment, singer Claude Dubois works his way through a series of pieces and styles, touching on straightforward balladry, sparse soulful pieces, and more energetic runs verging on adult contemporary rock. The album opens with a light ballad that has a bit of a Mediterranean flavor -- French chanson chorus breaks with an almost Andalusian vocal delivery. There's a turn toward gospel just afterward, forcing a bit of a tempo and stylistic break. Fairly standard slow ballads come along in a trio, complete with soft jazz saxophone accentuations. There's just a touch of N'Orleans funk in "Bebe Jajou la Toune," some strong melodrama in "Chasse Galerie," and some minor notes of sea shanties embedded in "Le Labrador." The chorus, the focus of the album (and title), is surprisingly ineffective. Rather than adding color to the music, the choral backing tends to make for a simpler format, placing Dubois into a more formulaic mode, and making him sound more like a formulaic adult contemporary singer than his voice may otherwise suggest. There are some bright notes on the album, but one can't help but think that Dubois' talents might be better served by him alone. ~ Adam Greenberg