Laura Babin

So I'm once again perusing the interweb when I come across another gem of an artist; with about as assured a debut offering and voice since - well to be honest - this...

Tranquillement is the self-funded debut offering from singer-songwriter Laura Babin and the five songs more than hints at the versatility and talent of this young Québecoise.

A native of Rimouski, on the banks of the St Lawrence River (Fleuve St Laurent), Laura Babin grew-up in a very musical family. At an age where most of us were playing with Lego, Laura was busy playing accordion and writing music. After moving to Montréal, she enrolled in music and song at the Cégep Marie-Victorin, forming the acoustic-folk band Volmer while studying there; before in 2012 entering the prestigious l'École Nationale de la Chanson.

The songs here build upon the foundations embraced by Volmer, but have a far more contemporary and atmospheric style that encompasses pop as well the expansive country and folk roots of "Americana".

The opening track "Sans sommeil" indeed has a contemporary folk-pop feel, but the song takes inspiration from South of the Border. The rhythm, coupled with a deliciously reverbed and muddied electric guitar are reminiscent of the sensibilities apparent on Angel Olsen's stunning "Burn Your Fire For No Witness" and Laura Viers' "Warp and Weft" (and those who've stumbled upon this blog by accident will know how highly I rate both of those albums). More importantly the song serves as an introduction to the clarity, power, range and - yes - seductiveness of Laura's voice.

"Sur La Route" is Laura's Jack Kerouac moment. Apparently the song is in-part influenced by a long bus journey from Gaspésie to Montréal; the  gentle rhythm pleasantly passes away the time until we arrive at the journey's end; it dovetails neatly with "Tranquillement", a naturellment simple, yes - tranquil - folk-tinged song is all about Laura's angelic voice. Twinned primarily with an acoustic guitar, there's a hint of multi-tracking on the vocals and a deliberately discordant piano at the close, indicating that things perhaps aren't as sleepy and peaceful as they might seem... Indeed, I'm quite enamoured by this...     

  
The EP's penultimate track,"Désert", is actually a re-interpretation of an earlier Volmer song (you can hear the original here). The former is stark and sombre, with haunting piano and accordion; this version is far more expansive - it's decidedly more sultry and up-beat; The mood and tempo are totally changed when compared to the original - in this respect it's arguably the most ambitious song showcased here. Fittingly, for an EP packed with beautiful vocal melodies, the closing track "Vous et moi" is a beautiful haunting ballad perfectly framed by Laura's crystalline vocals...

... And it's that voice that keeps drawing you back. At times reminiscent of Blog favourites Marianne Bel and Laurence Hélie (who similarly ploughs that rich seam of Americana from both north and south of the 49th), Laura Babin posses a voice so velvety smooth you'd swear it was molded from finest Swiss chocolate...

"Tranquillement" is available through Bandcamp on a name your own price basis and comes highly recommended.



Laura Babin on Bandcamp