New Finds: Au Ras Au Ras
by
3/6/12
New Finds: Au Ras Au Ras - Written by Jesse
Imagine an artist well in tune with themselves, understanding the boundaries of human emotion and vocal possibility, crashing into your ears like a vocal tide, rising and lowering with the pull of their heart's moon. Tess Brunet represents all of these comments in Au Ras Au Ras (pronounced "oh rah oh rah"), the soulful and endearing project recorded in Mississippi but dreamed up in New Orleans. Take one part heartache, one part reflection, with a pinch of hope and a dash of experience, and you have got the perfect indie-soul recipe.
Formerly the drummer of Deadboy & the Elephantmen, Generationals, Animal Electric, and half a dozen more, Au Ras Au Ras offers Brunet her own avenue to explore all aspects of songwriting. From the sweeping vocal style to the pickin' and strummin', Au Ras Au Ras gives fans of female musicians more than enough material to stay enthralled for days.
After a successful Kickstarter campaign (who wouldn't support this talent?) and the production skill of Fat Possum's Bruce Watson, the self-titled album released late last year and is stacked with quality audio. Each song tells a story, often leaving plenty of room for the listener to wait on bated breath for the next line. Brunet understands when to sing and when to not, and often relies on quiet energy to pursue her message. This is love music for those mature enough to actually understand the subject, not someone obsessed with romcoms or fairytale nonsense. Poignancy is the point and she hits the mark with every note.
There is nothing better than finding music without the sappy fluff found in 99% of radio-friendly material. A project like this is refreshing from all angles, whether you enjoy that she plays keys, drums, guitar, bass and Omnichord or the fact that she taught herself how to do all of that. Brunet has the sort of voice that makes you fall in love, but not in the puppy-love kind of way; no, this is a connection based on appreciation, respect, and acknowledgement of the journey and work that went into becoming a musical force. As long as she is allowed to write and record, there is no telling how many quality albums this woman can produce.
And as Brunet is from NOLA and Mardi Gras just was a recent blip, we're happy to unveil her video for the track "Adele." Enjoy!
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