Most of the time, unless it's a local band you go see frequently, or a band you're friends with, when a new album hits you it's possible that you've heard one or two of the songs. Because of social distancing and Ali Thibodeaux's willingness to share her talents on recent Sundays via IG and FB for Coffee and Deaunuts, her debut album, Let it Leave, does not find me in that position. I've heard her perform most, if not all, of these 9 songs solo, sitting on a chair in her living room in Virginia, while I sit on a couch in Michigan over the past five or six weeks during these events. I've also heard her play the album straight through acoustically in the past two weeks, and also got to hear the songs as they're recorded via a wondrous project she and her brother undertook--creating videos for each song via her iPhone. This hit the world last Wednesday night as Let it Leave: an American Soiree.
While this experience has been different in that manner--I've heard all of the songs before--it's similar in that they are wholly new to me as they are recorded. Do I recognize the words? Absolutely (in most cases at least--it tends to take me a long time to fully hear and remember lyrics). Do most of the melodies seem familiar? That too, yes. However, the songs with additional instruments, with electric guitar, with vocals going everywhere from nearly gutteral on up to incredibly high (though high with purpose, not like that Mariah Carey look what I can do crap that has no purpose)? They are new to me. And they are wonderful.
Deau Eyes is more indie powerhouse than I would have thought from what I've heard the last two months. Had I been forced to, I'd have lumped the bad into singer/songwriter, maybe Americana. But there are songs on here that seriously bang. "Paper Stickers" has a feminist aspect to it and sections that lead one to believe Thibodeau could spend some time rapping if she were interested. "Autonomy" has an incredible epic sweep to it that uses the full range of her vocal powers while having a steady thrum behind it. "Full Proof" starts with an alarm clock ringing and then turns into a buzzsaw. "Dear Young Love" has more of a storytelling feel to it, and the closer, "The Bow," is simply a lovely finishing effort.
It's an excellent album from song one through nine and you can see as such with those links above.
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