Description
Le Rens close-to-the-bone, heartbreak folk songs seem, at first, to tap into a shared musical memory. A melody swirls forward and youre just sure its known to the back of your mind; was it in from a movie you saw, some classic mid-60s setpiece? Maybe its something you heard as a kid, in the backseat of your moms Cutlass, or the shotgun seat of your own. But before you can zero in through the fog, your heart is torn apart by her voice rich, direct and mellifluous steering you through these slowburn tunes about real-life loss.
Discussing songwriting feels the same as when someone asks about your tattoo, says Lauren Spear, 26, the sole voice and songwriter behind Montreals Le Ren. Youre putting it out there, showing it in public right on your arm. Then, when someone asks you Hey, whats that tattoo mean?, youre shocked to have to explain it, as it is a choice that feels essential for a particular moment.
Two years ago, Spears ex-boyfriend was killed in a car accident. Since then, she has been struggling with the immeasurable weight of being the sole keeper of their shared memories and in response, translated a sliver of that experience into music. Her EP, Morning & Melancholia, is a mediation on mourning, memory and how to live with the ellipses youre forever left with in the wake of loss.
The way Le Ren is able to look tragedy directly in its eyes and never let her voice so much as quiver is owed to a few things. Raised on rural Bowen Island, British Columbia, the isolated lifestyle allows for a certain independent dedication to craft that is evident in her performances. Spear has studied folk and bluegrass going back to her early teens, partaking in workshops and festivals all over North America.
You can hear in her acumen the gorgeous folk formalism of Canadian heroes Kate and Anna McGerrigle. But its not all rigor and acuity that makes Le Rens music so stunning. She was also raised on The Holy Trinity of songwriters John Prine, Neil Young and Bob Dylan, and their curious, deadpan and cosmic approach to lifes most brutal swipes also feed Le Rens sensibilities. Her lyrical couplets are as simply put as they are devastating. So here we are at the end of all things // I guess I learned too late // that love cant be the only reason to stay, she sings on the closer Love Cant Be the Only Reason To Stay. Its gut wrenching, but sure-footed. And you can almost hear the slight smile on one side of her mouth as she sings, the knowing smile of someone who knows real pain, knows theres surely more to come, but who also knows it doesnt erase lifes humorous, enduring beauty.
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