Review: Julie Doiron - Woke Myself Up (or) North of the Saint Lawrence River

Posted on 4 April 2007 | 1 Comment

Filed Under: Album Reviews, Folk

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Canadian chanteuse Julie Doiron recently released her fifth full-length album under her own name. This one is called Woke My self Up and it represents the most rockin’ she has sounded since her days with Canadian indie-pop darlings Eric’s Trip back in the mid 90’s. In fact, former Eric’s Trip bandmates Rick White, Mark Gaudet, and Chris Thompson all play on Woke Myself Up with Rick White producing and contributing to every song.

Woke Myself Up finds Julie Doiron breaking out (a little) of the sound I have grown accustomed to hearing from her. Instead of hushed and nuanced folk music, we are all treated to full-on drums/bass/guitar style indie rock (in Julie’s own unique way, of course) that (despite being louder) sounds just as comfortable for her as does a strum and a whisper. But luckily we also get some of her stark and heartbreaking solo tunes too.

Now I’ve been a big fan of Julie’s since I first heard her 1999 Julie Doiron and The Wooden Stars album, but I especially like her album Heart and Crime and 2001’s French-language Desormais. Something about her plaintive voice and unconventional phrasing and sparse arrangements on those albums just really gets me. I also love the imagery of her lyrics. Doiron can turn everyday occurrences into something romantic. And now that I’m a father, I also especially love (and can more readily relate to) her songs about her two children. What parent wouldn’t love lyrics like “I woke myself up just to see you sleep.”

Anyhow, Woke Myself Up (like all of Julie’s records are) is great. It is out now on the Jagjaguwar record label.

MP3 | Julie Doiron – Woke myself Up Woke Myself Up
MP3 | Julie Doiron – Don’t Wanna Be Liked By You Woke Myself Up