Following on from what has been described as the precursor EP, Correspondances, Laurie Torres is preparing to release Après coup, the first full-length album under her own name, via Tonal Union. Taking inspiration from artists like Gia Margaret and ML Buch, the record sees Torres pivot towards an instrumental sound built from piano, drums, synths and field recordings. “I had an urge to use creativity as a sort of resting place, a place where things can unfold slowly and take time to reveal themselves,” she explains of the decision. “In other worlds words, I felt the need to make something slower, more elusive.”

Made in the spirit of improvisation yet finely crafted in its execution, the result is a cohesive album which offers a nuanced, authentic picture of its creator. “Being othered and tokenised as a woman who plays music, as well as a queer and black person, takes a toll, while also positively feeding a strong urge to push and be seen,” Torres continues. Après coup is the product of this urge. Careful enough to explore the tensions and contradictions within the experience, yet sufficiently defiant in its determination to exist on its own terms. The full power of the album is only revealed when experienced in its entirety, but Laurie Torres has released latest single ‘Lisière’ to give listeners a flavour of the release before it comes out next February.

Photo by Sara Lorusso, album art by Maria Zahle

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Opening track and lead single ‘Where I’m At’ sets the tone. “Honey, I’ve been stumbling,” Davies sings, “I’ve been fumbling through the days / I get up, I go out / and I come back home again.” This daily inertia is complicated by another force, one which has snared more than its fair share of country musicians. A subtle downward pull that follows the aimless wanderer, as though by going nowhere, one in fact sinks into days or time itself, which is all too ready to accumulate above their head. “Fleeting are the moments and lonely are my dreams,” concludes the opening verse. “It’s a long way to the bottom, but it’s quicker than it seems.”

There’s nevertheless a warmth to ‘Where I’m At’, especially the chorus with its additional vocals and sense of solidarity if not solution. This juxtaposition of downcast and upbeat is the key theme of the release, the easy-going rhythms and relaxed vibes at once tired of life yet glad to be breathing. From the disarmingly bright ‘Sad & Lonely’ to the loose-limbed ‘What if I’m Right’, Davies repeatedly pairs bummed out lyrics with pleasantly wistful instrumentation.

But far from coming across as playful or jarring, this blend of moods only strengthens the spirit underpinning the Ian Davies style. Not only does the sound provide a sense of distance and context for the emotions, preventing things from descending into melodrama, but it also forms a unifying compassion. The sense that, no matter how painful or dispiriting, there’s some connection to be found within melancholy. Some proof that hope still exists. Because the past would not smart so much if there was no promise of a future.

The King of Bedroom Country is out now and available from the Ian Davies Bandcamp page, and 100% of sales will be donated to the Native Women’s Shelter of Montreal.

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