by Jess Makler (unslump.substack.com)
Avant-pop missionary Cate Le Bon’s newest record Michelangelo Dying is a study in all-consuming heartbreak. Released on indie label Mexican Summer, the album was recorded between Hydra, Cardiff, London, and L.A., finishing up in the Joshua Tree desert where Le Bon grappled with the fresh wound of a recent breakup.
“The breakup was like an amputation that you don’t really want, but you know will save you," says the Welsh singer on the grief that inspired her album’s rich spread of new wave reflections, unfiltered no-nonsense vocals and twinkling instrumentation. She describes the album as “photographing a wound but picking at it at the same time”.
Le Bon’s maturity as a songwriter and arranger is clear as she’s added more production notches to her impressive musical resume. Her most recent collaborations include Chicago’s Horsegirl, Deerhunter, and now the South London band, Dry Cleaning.
Le Bon’s pure vocal delivery reflects Laurie Anderson’s Big Science, Nico’s matter-of-fact “Sunday Morning,” and the quiet yearning of the indie-shoegaze band Beach House. Le Bon’s voice is a ream of silk as she sings of running out of tears. On “Ride,” her voice zigzags with the prolific John Cale as they both deliver a deadpan ode to the ups and downs of romance. “It’s alright / it’s just feelings going away… It’s a real rodeo,” she sings. On lead single “Is It Worth It (Happy Birthday)”, Le Bon beautifully describes the blind faith that comes with being in love: “Dig deep, are you dumb or devout?” she asks. On “About Time”, she appears to answer her own question, picking herself up by instructing herself to “Collect yourself / Rigid / Collapse.”
Michelangelo Dying is a strong collection of memory and hurt. It’s a reminder to dance despite the sorrow. Cate Le Bon has a gift of cutting through the crap, delivering a record that is at once pure and tender, yet brutally honest and descriptive of the humiliation and joy of falling in (and out) of love.