Elisapie Isaac is a Canadian pop singer, broadcaster, documentary filmmaker and activist. Born in Salluit, Quebec to an Inuk mother and a father from Newfoundland, she collaborated with instrumentalist Alain Auger in the musical project Taima (Inuktitut for “that’s all” or “it is done”) in the early 2000’s.
Elisapie will be visiting the UK in May 2013 – this time live on stage for her first European shows to present her new album “Travelling Love”.
We had a listen to Travelling Love and here’s what we thought:
‘The Beat’ begins with a wide-screen panorama of sounds, before the capricious grinding of chimes blusters in. This is pastiche-pop, gold ruby rhythms and crunchy sweet voices – it is like a sweet popcorn fountain that has run away with itself. And those guttural guitars, with rubber soles, are so ruddy & muddy that they will swell your feet and warm your nose!
‘The Love You Gave’ is delicate and dewy. Extremely sharp beats protrude into a thicket of sounds. The shrill voice is clear and icicle clean – with a generous chorus that seems to open up his hands – to clasp you to his bosom – in warmth and welcome.
‘Life Is What You Make It’ is ratty and scrappy, then ‘Lead Me On’ has a 70’s style soul-heart and day-dreamy sepia quality. This song is very reminiscent of some of the early works of Noosha Fox (from Kenny Young’s 1970’s band ‘Fox’.) An exquisite guitar solo emblazons the slightly European sounding finale.
Soft-centred ‘For Me’ is like a leaf on a shivering cold tree, and ‘It’s All Your Fault’ is whispering and dangerously close. ‘Don’t You Let Me Go’ is pearly and fresh. It is a simple expression of anxious pleading. The voice steps forward, like a child on a fur rug. The rhythmically suggestive voice together with the bump-along bass, adds a gummy sub-layer for guitars and angelic harmonies to overlap and flap about over-head. This is lively and heavenly.
Title track ‘Travelling Love’ is another song about the earth-moving with our love. A simple rhythm is fired by sparking notes set amongst the tinder. The crystal clear voice is as sweet as candied ginger – but it retains a heat and bitterness in the aftertaste.
The heavy-breathing ‘Lead Out’ completes this delightfully syrupy album. Elisapie’s vocals are confessional, confidential and very personal. “Don’t you know we are only travelling love?” Well, we do now.
-© Neil_Mach March 2013 –
Link
UK Date:
May 16
The Great Escape
Brighton, UK
RAW RAMP 