There’s a particular generosity that comes with mastery, and on new album Daystar (February 27th) Soran wields it with deft hands. The Montreal singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist’s dazzling musicianship serves as the perfect platform for intimacy and intention, bringing love, tenderness, and hard-won optimism deep into the listener’s heart. The result is a record where craft becomes a conduit rather than a constraint, transforming personal growth into connection even amid the conflict and noise of the world outside.
“The album is driven by the discovery of love even in the darkest places, in a variety of shapes and forms,” Soran says. “And in the process of making those songs, it reveals a part of me that was healed—acknowledging the power of the universe.” Lead single “555” exemplifies that transformative power, a glistening bit of sunlight that dares to dream about bottling the ecstatic moment where a “perfect situation” becomes reality. The layered wordless chorus, soft acoustic strumming, and snappy rhythm section are impeccably engineered and produced, but more than a technical wonderland they immediately evoke both a sundraped afternoon with a new love and the bittersweet feeling of trying to grasp at the memory once it’s over.
“Whether it was focusing on engineering or keeping myself updated on everything from pop to Brazilian samba, I approached Daystar as a way to expand on my last album,” Soran explains. “I was inspired by the idea of soaking in the music, being able to connect with the instrumental even if people don’t speak the language and then letting the lyrics exist on their own plane.”
The album’s title track taps into that duality, Soran’s words practically laser-etched into the sky as neon synths pulse in hypnotic rhythm. Inspired by a new relationship, “Daystar” offers a blissed out encouragement to live life as brightly as possible in the hopes that one day you’ll find a matching star that shines just as brightly. “Daystar was a word that popped into my mind when I met my girlfriend,” he smiles. And as the track crescendoes to its conclusion, the burning synthpop fades away and only the glittering heavens remain—matching that joyful grin.
Both Soran’s masterful technical ability and expressive depth have been honed over years of intricate work, whether on his own sublime tracks or producing and writing for other artists. Whether working with beloved Congolese-Canadian rapper jev. or R&B pop star Alessia Cara, Soran has found a way to infuse his collaborations with a celestial beauty and warmth.
And those impressive names are just the tip of the iceberg. Soran’s massive catalog spans genres and continents, an impressive feat that showcases his ability to mix chameleonic prowess with genuine heart. The full rundown includes Quebec-based artists like Claudia Bouvette, Zach Zoya, FouKi, Koko Love, and Geoffroy; Canadians Johnny Orlando, Preston Pablo, and Lou Val; Henri PFR from Belgium; Americans Kyle Dion, Souly Had, and Kaskade; GAMPER & DADONI of Germany; and French artists Georgio and A2H.
It’s not just other artists feeling that energy. Soran’s 2024 album Loneliness Confetti earned raves for its ability to stretch from vintage synth bliss to burnished R&B swagger. And whether in intimate rooms or at massive festivals like Osheaga, M for Montreal, SXSW, or Schoolnights, international fans have thrilled at the opportunity to live for an evening in Soran’s musical world-building.
Though a native Montrealer, Soran spent the last two years bouncing between his Canadian home, working sessions in Los Angeles, and spending time with his girlfriend as she studied in London. The months spent in the UK proved both a challenge and an opportunity to reframe his writing process. Whereas Soran had set up a full studio in his home, he had to opt for quieter practice in their cramped London flat. "I'd pick up a guitar and sing one note and hear the people upstairs laughing because they could hear it," he explains.
But while it may have felt like a constraint, the product of his hushed exploration more than makes up for it. Soran’s lead delivery far more restrained than elsewhere in his catalog, and the breezy harmonies buried in the mix play the perfect counterpart to barely brushed instrumentation. “I actually went and rented a stone house in Sicily, and brought an old battery-powered noisy Tascam,” he explains. “There on this secluded mountaintop, my friend and I were sitting there holding acoustic guitars and recording the wind blowing through the strings like a meditation.”
While “Sideways Falling” revels in the lovestruck beauty of quiet moments, the haunting “Telescope” uses the slowly churning acoustic hush to return to thoughts of his mother’s passing—though now cast in radiant light. “I had this vision of my mom floating in space, like a star,” he says. “The song makes me feel like I can hear her telling me she’s here and she’ll be fine.” The plucked, looping pattern and insistent shakers give way to his light falsetto, a remarkably vulnerable song that will soar through the heart of anyone who has experienced loss. “The stars are waking/ Singing in the same key/ Cosmic voices calling/ Are you gonna miss me when I'm gone?” he sings, the clarity of the call somehow tragic and angelic at once.
Elsewhere, the magnetic “Momentary Good Times” serves a similar reminder to tap into the beauty and love of the moments we have before they’re gone. To that end, the track feels like a gleaming Moroder disco soundscape slowed down to a syrupy Beach House crawl, Soran trying to musically keep the good moments as long as possible. “Keep dancing like before/ Move to the symphony/ Into eternity,” he sighs, the sweeping bass runs working like a stretch of taffy barely tethering the airy synths to the ground. On the bouncy “Secrets”, Soran’s vulnerable voice cracks and stretches, calling himself a disgrace and wondering aloud if his deep secrets would make him unlovable—an uncertainty and paranoia that matches the repetitions of the song’s title.
Taken together, Daystar feels less like a destination than a declaration of intent. Soran’s growth as a musician, engineer, and writer has only sharpened his ability to communicate what matters most, using craft not as armor but as an invitation inward. “My musical purpose is bigger than me, and if I'm going to put music out it has to be about something that matters,” he says. “And for me, love always matters.” That sense of devotion—to feeling, to connection, to light in uncertain times—runs through every corner of the record.
