Gaelle Buswel-Yesterday's Shadow

I first ran into Gaelle Buswel a few weeks ago opening for The Aristocrats, I was stunned by the sheer beauty and magic of her music. Here is a girl who crafts songs that are often rather minimalist in instrumentation, yet vast in soundscape, and incredibly beautiful. Her debut record Yesterday's Shadow evidences the power and glory of her work. This is blues folk at its finest, memorable and heart rending sounds that are all tinged with a supreme and tear jerking sadness. Yes, tear jerking, Yesterday's Shadow is remarkable because in a world were literally hundreds of albums come out every day, this one stands tall and makes the listener feel. 

See, Gaelle has a simply incredible voice, rife with Bonnie Raitt tinged emotion, evidence of someone who has been through the hard times and come out stronger because of it. On first glance, an album with song titles like 'Love' and 'Fever' might seem bland, yet once you get into it you are forced to acknowledge the incredible beauty of the music. More than that, the lyrics are magical, with an earthy and very human understand of the common man's everyday existence. Yet, it is not only Gaelle's wonderfully accented voice that gives the record glory. The guitar playing is magnificent, blues tinged jazz that often comes in with little licks that add incredible flavor to the songs. Keyboards come in occasionally too, adding flavor to tracks like  the tasty duet None of us Are Free. All of this culminates in the ultimate track, a cover of the Beatles classic Help, and frankly, it is far superior to the original.

Now, dear reader, you might be thinking 'Isn't Matt supposed to be a metal dude? And what is this crap about a band playing Beatles songs better than the Beatles?' Maybe I am just some confused punk who doesn't know what he's talking about. But I think when you get into the heart of it, Yesterday's Shadow is significant because of its sheer humanity. There are very few records coming out these days that reflect the human condition as well as this one does. Gaelle Buswel understands the spirit of mankind and channels it in her music. How else can I conclude than to say, listen to this record and try to hold back the tears.

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