Description

Julie Doirons stunning album Désormais, originally released via Jagjaguwar in 2001, marked a departure from the Canadian artists grunge pop releases in the 1990s. Like its title might suggest, the intimate record is sung almost entirely in French. Across Désormais ten tracks, Doiron builds a disarming and warm atmosphere through minimally-composed fingerpicking, Doirons soft voice steers a wounded sound. Even for the English-speaking listener, the cohesion of the albums subdued, immersive atmosphere looms. Désormais clearly communicates a close, unflinching look at self-doubt submerged in melancholy.

Heart And Crime, released less than a year later in 2002, traverses much of the same territory. Written within the same time as Désormais, Heart And Crime is a companion to its predecessor, similarly vulnerable and scarce compositionally, save for flickers of brass or a piano line flitting in or out. Again, its weight comes from its sombre simplicity, in Doirons wistful voice and lyricism.

Désormais and Heart And Crime serve as visceral time capsules for Doirons own personal history. Its fitting, then that the records are also distinct placeholders within the Jagjaguwar canon. Désormais and Heart And Crime came at a time just as the label began to widen its scope. Doirons work was amongst the first in a new era of Jagjaguwar artists that expanded the labels roster and aesthetic, ushering in new and diverse definitions of Jagjaguwars early dedication to emotional dissonance.

Julie Doiron is an award-winning singer-songwriter and multiinstrumentalist from Montreal, Québec, whose career spans nearly three decades.

Désormais and Heart And Crime were originally released in 2001 and 2002 respectively but Désormais was limited to CD and Heart And Crime has long since been out of print on vinyl.

This double LP reissue replicates each albums original art and has been specially designed to create the illusion of two front covers.