Singer-Songwriter

Ada Lea – what we say in private

A culmination of 180 days of journaling after a break-up, Ada Lea’s debut album, what we say in private, is an exercise in self-discovery and self-reflection. This appropriately titled, incredibly personal project brings the listener into the mind and emotions of its creator in a time of turmoil. Over 10 tracks, Lea recounts her experiences with her significant other, reflects on their flaws, her flaws, and the inherent imbalance of affection in the relationship that ultimately contributed to its failure. The instrumentation on this record is refreshingly simple. Songs like just one, please consist of little more than a guitar and Lea’s voice, but still manage to convey so much passion and feeling, making it easy to relate to and empathize with the story being told. Certain tracks, like for real now (not pretend) and what makes me sad, get unexpectedly turbulent and chaotic at certain points, capturing the ever-changing cycle of emotions experienced by Lea in the period of time that the album was written. This turbulence applies to her lyrics as much as it does her musical arrangement, making what we say in private a rollercoaster of emotion, and a strong debut for the Montreal songwriter.

DOPE LEMON – Smooth Big Cat

Angus Stone’s second solo album, Smooth Big Cat, released under his DOPE LEMON alias, is a psychedelic journey through a hazy, Wild Western fever dream. This record will keep you swaying to the music with its mid-tempo grooves full of reverb-soaked guitars and an ever-present twangy synth that always seems to come back. Stone’s cool, calm, and at times lazy, delivery flows like molasses over Santana-esque guitar riffs, bongo-backed beats, and everything in between. The album’s sound remains consistent throughout its 46-minute run-time, adopting a style of music that would appeal to John Wayne as much as it would Cheech and Chong. Each track tells a story, with Lonely Boys Paradise detailing an island you can never leave, and Smooth Big Cat chronicling the adventures of the album’s aptly named mascot. This is clearly Stone’s most personal project to date, seeing as he wrote, recorded, and arranged the entire thing himself. This is evidenced in the music as well, as he professes his relationship troubles on Hey Little Baby, and even includes recordings of his girlfriend in the heartfelt outro, Hey, Man Don’t Look at Me Like That, adding intimacy and vulnerability to the fitting end of this musical journey.