Beauty After Bruises by Louise Distras

Introduction

I first saw Louise about five years back and was so impressed I bought her "Street Revolution" EP and then made the faux-pas of talking to her backstage and not realising it was her at first. C'est La Vie.

Louise asked me to get in touch with her agent to get a pre-release copy of the album so I could review it, which Lucy, her agent, sent to me as soon as I contacted her.

I have been listening to all of Louise's music that is available on Bandcamp on repeat which included her debut album "Dreams From The Factory Floor", several singles and the aforementioned EP. I was surprised that her debut album was nearly ten years ago, but she has been releasing music and touring and now has her second album ready to go.

I now have the album and will give you my opinion on the songs (except the ones I've already reviewed, but will provide links for those.

This review is just my opinion, and there will be little lyrical analysis but lots of my impression of the songs on the album.

Below is from the release page.

All songs written under duress by Louise Distras .

Recorded at 25th Street Studios, Oakland USA

Produced by Ross Petersen

Mixed by Ross Petersen and Stephen Street

Mastered by John Davis

1 - Truth In Your Lies

A superb opener with a superb descending three-note motif that hooks you immediately. Three minutes of gorgeous sound with Louise's voice taking you into the body of the album.

2 - Girl In The Mirror

This flows on from the opener maintaining the gorgeous soundscape being woven by Louise's guitar and voice.

My full review of this is here, an amazing second single from the album. Listening to this should make you want to have the album as part of your collection.

3 - Love And Money

This starts gently over an acoustic intro but packs a punch to emphasise how love is so much more important than money. There are so many things that you cannot buy, and for them money is useless. This has a message that we should all listen to.

4 - Factory Girl

Louise gives us another descending guitar sequence in this powerful song. I've just realised that I don't want any of these songs to stop, they don't have to grow on me, every one sounds like an instant favourite.

The performance and production are excellent giving you an amazing listening experience almost making you want to repeat each song, but you stop yourself because you want to hear the next one.

5 - Broken Mondays

Comes in with a tolling church bell, and with the piano accompaniment ascends into a tale of religious control. Louise is very much her own person, although this takes religion and the force attempting to control, this, I take as an analogy for any organisation that tries to control people.

Again the music is filled with power.

6 - Hollywood Drug

We all want success, and this has a chorus that won't let go, but you want it to go on forever. The song's title is perfect.

7 - Time Heals Nothing

This is a melancholic beauty, that builds from an acoustic start to an almost orchestral final, with the title emphasised perfectly, up to the final stop.

8 - Forever Is You

By the time I reached this, I know that Louise has an amazing voice, but the title of this used as the chorus sounds almost heavenly.

As you go through the album you keep thinking that you have heard the best song, and that is for each song that you hear.

9 - Single But Taken

This one has more edge, the verses almost taking a list form, with an insistent rhythm and more great guitar motifs, but this is a kick-started song after the gorgeous "Forever Is You".

10 - Run With Wild Horses

Not letting the tempo drop, this is an absolute classic, almost a combination of the best textures of the previous two songs. Again you really do not want this to finish (I seem to be saying that a lot).

I am so looking forward to having my own copy of this absolutely brilliant album.

11 - Black Skies

A rightly aggressive first single from the album that delivers in spades. Read the review here.

12 - Keep On Trying

A gorgeous finale to the album, anthemic and perfect. I could see this played in huge venues live, again, I do not want this to finish.

Final Thoughts

I wasn't sure what I was expecting from "Beauty After Bruises", I expected it to be good, but often albums have the odd drop in quality. This album doesn't.

I am playing it for the fourth time as I write this, and there is not one song I would skip. This really is a ten out of ten or five-star score.

I always say that at any given point ninety-five per cent of music is rubbish and you need to seek out the five per cent.

"Beauty After Bruises" is part of the five per cent.