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Untold Unadorned (and other tales)

by Louise Le May

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The Wounded 03:53
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The Lovers 03:21
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Potters Bar 03:29
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about

In 2015, Louise Le May released 'A Tale Untold', exquisitely produced and arranged by Louis Philippe and Ken Brake, with keyboards by Danny Manners of Big Big Train. It was undeniably a thing of beauty, whose admirers ranged from Guy Garvey to Sean O'Hagan, Van Dyke Parks, Cathal Coughlan, and Gilbert O'Sullivan, and the novelist Jonathan Coe - none of them people who impress easily.

Yet some of the songs it contained had their origins in home-recorded demos that dated back as far as the mid-90s. These - along with many that came much later - are those demos. They're not high-fidelity and they're far from flawless. Yet neither are they typical warts-and-all home recordings. In particular, Louise's haunting, complex harmonies, intricate keyboard arrangements and dizzying melodies are present and correct from the off, making it abundantly clear why a dumbfounded Louis Philippe was determined to get her into Ken's studio within weeks of first hearing them.

Even though many listeners will be familiar with the fully realised versions of these extraordinary songs, these demo versions have their own unique quality. They were captured during the white heat of creation, when Louise's sole focus was, as she puts it, 'just getting the ideas down'.

This album also includes the extraordinary original version of the more experimental 'War With Love', with its backwards vocal, barked radio voices, organ drone and other inexplicable sounds, recorded at a time when Louise was looking for a way of escaping what had begun to feel like the prison walls of conventional songwriting. Originally included on her debut EP 'Tell Me One Thing That Is New' in slightly re-arranged form, this version strips away all added layers, the better to reveal its stark other-worldliness.

As an added treat, there are seven songs composed before and after the release of 'A Tale Untold', all of which confirm that Louise's unique powers of invention are still continuing to flourish and evolve.

credits

released October 1, 2021

All songs by Louise Le May.
Cover photo by Malcolm Willison.
The Wounded recorded by Kenneth Brake, featuring Louis Philippe on guitar.
Violin on Thunderbird by Neil Black.

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about

Louise Le May London, UK

Louise Le May is something different - a unique and very English talent. Sometimes hard to categorise, her music in combination with the luscious, sophisticated arrangements of Louis Philippe, soars. It's timeless, dreamlike and reflective. Her voice, recorded with minimal fuss, open and natural is the first thing you notice. It has a lightness yet conveys a surprising depth. ... more

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