Summing up Benoît Pioulard's sound in one word isn't actually that hard, and that word would undoubtedly be dreamlike. His brand of ambient shoegaze feels distant, a little strange even. It's airy and melodic, melancholic but not wallowing. The multi-instrumentalist plucks and strums at his guitar, layering and looping a host of other elements to create space within sound. On his most recent album, Sonnet, Pioulard is found throwing all sense of traditional songwriting aside, though, trading it instead for emotive noise that shifts from sparse to lush and back again.
Pioulard plays The Flycatcher (340 E. Sixth St.) on Thursday, April 7. The show begins at 9 p.m. with Tucson's own ambient talent, Ryan Chavira, and Karima Walker. Tickets are $7 at the door or $5 in advance, which can be found online, along with more information, at www.flycatchertucson.com. It is a 21 and over event.
