De l’autre côté is the latest offering from French singer-songwriter Laura Cahen and the dreamy ten-track album truly feels like a gift.
From the enchanting rich layers on ‘Les Astres’, to my personal favourite ‘Quitter La Ville’, each track has something unique and ethereal.
De l’autre côté [On the other side] was released via the independent record family PIAS Recordings France.
Mesmerising and sublime, Laura Cahen’s beautiful sound draws on a range of influences including Brigitte Fontaine, Joni Mitchell and Big Thief.
It’s only been a year since the release of Cahen’s last album Des Filles and Cahen’s latest album is both in keeping with her sound and completely fresh. Cahen is endlessly creative and somewhat prolific; her most recent De l’autre côté follows three gorgeous albums and a six-track EP, all with their own ethereal charm. Cahen places women and queer love at the centre of her narratives. She writes:
“I imagined a world not too far from ours, burning from all sides, in which bombs fall continuously, climate crisis is at its peak and governments are more conservative and oppressive than ever. In this world, two women fall madly in love and must leave the city in search for a place where their love could have a chance to prosper”.
One of the many strengths of De l’autre côté is how beautifully it’s constructed. This isn’t a random collection of songs but an album journey you’ll want to sit with and sway to and fro and bathe in from the first track to the last.
Cahen is joined on ‘De l’autre côté’ by the immensely talented British-French composer and multi-instrumentalist Josephine Stephenson. As well as contributing to Laura Cahen’s previous albums, Stephenson’s notable collaborations include work with Radiohead, Daughter and Damon Albarn.
If you’re a Laura Marling fan who’s unfamiliar with Laura Cahen you absolutely must listen to her beautiful and haunting take on Marling’s ‘What He Wrote’. Seriously, listen below now.
Having played Paris on the album’s release date, Laura Cahen is now set for a four-date UK tour with venues including London’s stunningly atmospheric St Pancras Old Church. Don’t miss out.
Follow Laura Cahen on: youtube | bandcamp | facebook | instagram | soundcloud