Laura Gibson - La Grande

Named after a scenic town in Oregon, and created within a makeshift trailer, ‘La Grande’ is where a more ambitious Laura Gibson expands 2009’s ‘Beast Of Seasons’ melancholic and soothing folk song.

The tame and antique acoustic trickles of ‘Crow/Swallow’ and ‘Feather Lungs’ snuggle neatly in the crevices of Gibson’s previous long player, but elsewhere everything’s scaled up as the sometimes Decemberists member conjures images of a vast, roaming wilderness. The primal percussion of the opening title track sparks a stirring start, spectrally joined by guitar strokes evoking Ennio Morricone’s spirit.

Elsewhere, the otherwise timid ‘Skin, Warming Skin’ gets transformed into eccentric ritual song, and collaborator Joey Burns’ (of Calexico) imprint is visible here: ‘Milk-Heavy, Pollen-Eyed’ and ‘Red Moon’ dusting off South American flavours from Burns’ band. Despite these references, Gibson’s timelessly grainy voice ensures the spotlight is placed firmly on her.

‘La Grande’s most engaging moments lay in the kind of wild desires Florence Welch would sell her left leg for. On the enchanting fairy tale flutters of ‘Lion/Lamb,’ Gibson dispels any notions of her gentleness: “I am not a lamb, I am a lion…tearing your grace with every tooth and claw.” ‘This Fire,’ its galloping chorus urging you to scream “Yeehaw”, sees her assuring us: “If you’re as hot as the sun, be not afraid of the fire.” ‘Time is Not’s distant rumble carries her reflecting: “I’ve been careless with my questions, worn my burdens like a halo, held my hopes like broken pins, traded piece by piece for backwards glances.” Wonderfully courageous, Gibson’s reflections make her latest record her most accomplished work yet. Translated into English, the album’s title reads ‘The Great Laura Gibson.’ Never have words been more true.