Louise Connell + Special Guests
Entry Requirements: Over 18s only
Previously trading as Reviereme, Scottish singer/songwriter Louise Connell has reverted to her own name for a diverse, deep-vein double album which vaults her into contention as one of the most insightful and pertinent songsmiths, anywhere, to have emerged in recent years.
Squall Echo Rale covers a lot of bases, and bosses all of them. Accessible hits-in-waiting have hard truths nested beneath their impeccable surfaces: the cautious, incremental optimism of Careful Unplanned (“Stitched little yesses over bleeding nos”), or the barbed appraisals of Crossed The Line (“And I could have been a genius, if you’d tested me in my native tongue”). Mortality tugs at the baroque string arrangement of My Wandering Mind, while the equally elegant Shrapnel exemplifies Connell’s gift for penning succinct aphorisms which speak volumes: “We’re the darkness it takes to see the light”. This approach also informs the discreet tenderness of Ilo and We Night, the empathy that underscores the bleak No Visitors and the harrowing domestic abuse scenario of Outside.
It’s a genuinely haunting listen; not just in terms of its melodic tenacity, but also in the way Connell’s lyrics lodge in your mind for keeps. Oregano Rathbone, Record Collector
‘Like Straw Woman, Squall Echo Rale is packed to bursting with quality songs that are instantly accessible. I did what I always do when reviewing albums. I played this through once, put it aside for a while and then played it again... The thing is I couldn't (and still can't) stop playing it. 10/10.’ Review Graveyard
‘One of Scotland’s finest songwriters, with one of the best songs of the night. One of the best lyrics I’ve heard from a Scottish artist in many a long year.’ Billy Sloan, BBC Radio Scotland
‘Evokes echoes of the hauntingly beautiful voice of Eddi Reader but what really shines through is the sheer joy that Louise Connell portrays when she is making music. The vocal delivery is flawless.’ Louder Than War
‘The rare form of artist who can blow you away with her lyrical intelligence, captivating vocal and unique delivery style’ Music News