Musical artistry manifests itself in different ways in each creator, and the idea always that less is more isn't an adage that should hold universal truth. In fact, it takes a particularly special type of artist to really make minimalism flourish, and Autumn Dawn Leader is one of those artists. That isn't to say her music is simple, not by a long stretch, but her music does put it's focus on to one key element; namely her voice. Because, while I, Autumnus is an album full of beautiful folk-indebted tunes and emotional lyrics, it wouldn't be anywhere near as powerful without Autumn Dawn Leader's remarkable vocal talents.
Originally from the USA, but having spent the last fifteen years or so based in the UK, Autumn Dawn Leader has a wealth of experience behind her as both a singer-songwriter of her own compositions, and as a lead vocalist fronting bands performing other people's songs. That experience shows throughout I, Autumnus as while all of these songs, bar one, have been written exclusively by her, there is a thoughtfulness to her vocal lines and harmonies that is evidence of a singer able to look at her performances from an objective standpoint. Whether this is a conscious or unconscious process, it's hard to say, but it gives a richness and depth to the recordings that few comparable singer-songwriters manage to achieve.
Those vocals are a myriad combination of classical choral styles, soft folk tones and dramatic timbres that evoke heavy emotion while also retaining a clarity of expression. On paper this sounds like something sonically comparable to Joni Mitchell or Laura Marling, but in practice it manifests itself as something quite unique. Take for instance the intriguing harmonies on Burned, the sublime layers of Autobiography or the overlapping call and response lines of The Hunted. Her voice has an enveloping quality to it that only serves to heighten the ethereal atmosphere of her songs.
There are other times when Autumn Dawn Leader really flexes her vocals with a natural freedom, most notably on The Bridge At Abermaw which, coincidentally or not, is the only track to feature an outside hand, as it was co-written by fellow singer-songwriter Andy Griffiths. Someplace To Be Flying, Last Year's Coffee Cloud Dreams and Experience all have a similar innate sense to their melodies too.
Tracks like Seaweed Dreams, The Angel Song and Timelord Confessions have a more crafted sense to them, with her classical vocals and dynamic instrumentation bringing to mind the dramatic folk-rock of Jeff Buckley. However, in the subtle fluctuations and nuances there remains a feeling that, for all the craft that has gone into these compositions, Autumn Dawn Leader is ultimately letting the melodies flow from her heart.
Although all these vocals performances can be described as brilliant out of context, they are inescapable from the incredibly personal and stirring lyrics which they purvey. These melodies are only this emotive because of the words and images they are being put to. Autumn Dawn Leader has a great sense of both analogy and candor; she uses intriguing metaphors on tracks like Someplace To Be Flying and Timelord Confessions, whilst being beautifully direct in Burned and the rather sombre final track Experience.
She conjures up some fabulous imagery too in tracks like Last Year's Coffee Cloud Dreams, Autobiography and Seaweed Dreams. Although all the songs comes across as intensely personal, they never feel so shrouded in abstractions as to be unrelatable, and it's why, when brought together with her vocals, these songs can bring forth as much melancholy and wistfulness as they do.
I, Autumnus manages to strike a balance between the minimalist values that allow Autumn Dawn Leader's vocals to truly shine, while also adopting a fascinating range of emotional layers in both the melodies and the lyrics. It's hard to pin down to being simply a folk album, a singer-songwriter album, or any genre specific album for that matter. Much like both the aforementioned Joni Mitchell and Laura Marling, Autumn Dawn Leader has elevated her music beyond it's stylistic influences, and has put her personality right at it's heart. I, Autumnus is a musical portrait of it's creator, and it is that which makes it such a charming, emotive and unique album.
I, Autumnus is released on 25th June 2021 via Old Hotel Records.
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