Goners

Album review

Full moon and fog, a frozen world that reassures and unnerves in equal measure: Laura Gibson has become a lone wolf, roaming far from the pack. Since Empire Builder in 2016, the American has taken a melancholy pop turn, which has added depth to her folk music. Goners is her fifth record, and its title looks two ways at once: towards those who have been drawn out into the world, and towards the dead. Gibson has wrapped herself up in resilience, which leads to introspection. A prisoner, she paints her cell in dark colours and looks for the magical. Intense arrangements of folk harmonies on the song Clemency create an enchanting acoustic ballad. Hocus pocus, resonant acoustic guitar notes, electric distortions and captivating violins! Bit by bit, a feeling of drunkenness takes over and we fall into a trance. Is Laura Gibson singing an elegy to solitude and sadness? What's for sure is that Goners is brilliant. The electro-pop turn works perfectly for this young woman who is demonstrating a clear talent as a songwriter. The elements all fit together nicely; the harmonies are delicious and the subtlety brings out the undeniable poetry of her shamanic songs. © Clara Bismuth/Qobuz