Montreal-based Angela Desveaux’s second album The Mighty Ship opens with haunting Ballad The Other Side, on which Desveaux’s stunning vocals are complemented by sumptuous harmonies and laid-back orchestration.
Title track The Mighty Ship is a true story of the death of her grandmother’s first husband. The lulling chorus with the lyrics ‘the mighty ship is sinking in the cold dark icy sea,’ beautifully evokes swelling waters, and the story-telling element emulates the country classics of old.
This follow-up to 2006’s Wandering Eyes sees Desveaux supported by a full band, but the subtlety of her songwriting loses nothing with more robust arrangements. Despite citing influences from Chrissy Hinde to Neil Young, Desveaux is still an old-time country artist through and through.
8/10
Words: Chloe Keats