As the story goes, Laurence HĂ©lie was riding high many years ago after releasing two critically acclaimed folk-country albums. She was a bright star in the Quebec music scene and then she just…stopped.
She went into what she described as a “musical depression” and was done with music. It was so deep that , according a recent press release, “guitar strumming made her skin crawl.”
Then, for reasons even she can’t explained, she began singing and playing, now songs filled with anger and fury. She channeled her love of 1990’s female-led bands like The Cranberries and Mazzy Star into something outside of her folk-country comfort zone. Going there inspired her to change her musical identity to Mirabelle and create Late Bloomer.
The album lets you know right away that this won’t be a folk-country experience (but hints of her former genre are there). The opening synth bass of “One in a Million” flows into HĂ©lie’s breathy vocals about not blaming someone for turning off the light of a relationship. The beat is slow country blues, but the synths are an ambient creek running past her back yard. “Betty” starts with early 90’s bass sludge and mixes in what sounds like harpsichord as HĂ©lie’s vocals bounce along the beat with ease with fuzzy guitars to help her glide along.
The bossa nova groove of “PhĂ©nomĂšne” is delightful, as are HĂ©lie’s French vocals. “My head is full of black clouds. I’m done with all the noise in the background,” she sings at the opening of “Wall.” Aren’t we all done with that noise? It’s a lovely jam track with electronic beats and guitar strumming that definitely won’t make your skin crawl. The feel of “Rose White” reminds me of some of Zola Jesus‘ works, and HĂ©lie’s love of Cranberries lead singer Niall Quinn is evident in her vocals on the track.
“Teenage Dreams” would’ve been an alt-rock hit in the mid-90’s. Just listen to that chugging riff and those bright synths and tell me I’m wrong. The opening acoustic guitar and bass of “Daddy Long Legs” sounds inspired by some of Alice in Chains‘ songs. “Cheated” is a soft ode to “going through the motions” in a relationship and how temptation is everywhere, and sometimes great to taste, but the feelings afterward can be “like a car crash.”
By contrast, HĂ©lie sings, “You don’t know how good it is to feel.” at the beginning of “Magic Spell,” letting us know she made it through the heartbreak from the previous track. The closer, “Don’t Forget to Breathe,” is advice we could all use. Being present is always the best choice, but admittedly is often easier said than done. The song is brooding and even a bit spooky (“No amount of scented candles can make it undone.”) with piano chords that almost sound like a funeral dirge.
Late Bloomer is a fine record, and the title is a fine reflection of this moment in HĂ©lie’s career. She’s found her voice again and a new way to express it. We could all be so lucky if we ever enter into a depth that seems insurmountable.
Keep your mind open.
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[Thanks to Conor at Hive Mind PR.]
