Try and Wake up laughing one of these days, when you have the ease of hindsight and the near-enlightenment of the half-asleep-half-awake. You'll be amazed at how easy it is to recontextualize things in those moments and come away with different perspectives. The New Elle PF album by and large is about the benefit of hindsight and the idea that finding the funny side of things -of ourselves and our perception of ourselves- is a challenge worth assuming and a steppingstone towards our betterment.
Now it's been a while since we last heard any new albums by Ranelle, Jenessa, John, and Doc. This sophomore release is the four-years-in-the-making chaser to the "She Wrote it" Shot. This time around, the band decided to turn on their DIY sensibilities, ditching the Basement and going into a real studio with Brett Bullion as engineer and mixer to really give that extra polish and even a dimension of professionalism that reflects their growth in more ways than one. One of the most striking qualities of the album is in the sheer variety of sounds you'll come across. No two songs are enough alike that you're allowed to grow too attached to a particular groove, so there's always this sense of novelty like each new song is an entirely new episode that reflects upon this or that event, tackling different topics with different tones and even almost different genres. Take for instance the 2nd song, "Punk Song". It is exactly what it says on the tin, and it revels in it thoroughly bt adopting the entire vernacular of Punk music with an absolutely amazing Basswork by Jenessa. The chaotic energy of the genre tells an almost equally chaotic tale that stands in almost a stark contrast with the rest of the album. Of course, overall "I Woke Up Today Laughing" is ultimately as eclectic as it needs to be so it's not like any song feels out of place.
Photo by: Amanda Adam
Being first and foremost an alt-Rock band, Elle PF sound is often dominated by the guitar, but with tracks like "Same Mistakes", where that role is occupied by a piano instead, you get a nice chance to appreciate the versatility of Ranelle's vocals and the plasticity of the Elle PF sound. This very dynamic playfulness keeps things very interesting and always exciting you about the endless possibilities of what's coming next. The same happens again with the quirky sound of the otherwise grim and deathly serious "Just leave", or the highly electro/dance-influenced "Don't think too much about it". Both of those are some of the most cheery-sounding songs in the lot, but their lyrical content bears somef of the most important messages in the album. The last song I wanted to focus on is also the last song in the album as well. "Bad Habits" is a very beautiful and delicate melody with a very indie-folk vibe that works on a very simple but powerful chord at first before opening up to this very overwhelming emotional piece that weaves keys and strings around Ranelle's gorgeous singing. This song can hit everyone very hard, some people more so than others, as it is a very heartbreaking and personal song about addiction and recovery directly from Ranelle LaBiche's own treatment experience. "Bad Habits" blindsides you with its moving lyrics and melody, and it would have been a bit of a sour way to end an otherwise mostly upbeat album if not for the bright light of hope that emanates from its message and uplifting composition. Couldn't think of a better song to end this thing with!
Featured photo by Elena Stanton
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