Immersing with a lush folk and pop synergy, Lou Heron is a consuming album out today from Les Ailes, the project of singer-songwriter Rylie DeGarmo. The release shows enjoyable shades of Big Thief and Marissa Nadler, conjuring an aesthetic that’s steeped in both dreamily inviting melodic appeal and personal lyrical introspection. Lou Heron stirs in its embodiment, grief, and radical care in the face of personal collapse and global unrest; DeGarmo wrote the album following a nervous system collapse and spiritual reset. Encouragements to stay grounded and listen inward show alongside. “Everything we need is already here,” DeGarmo says. “I’m learning to weave grief into daily life, with reverence, with love.”
Opening track “Looking In” weaves hazy synths, twinkling key flourishes, and an enjoyably soulful vocal delivery — reminiscent of Beach House in its dream-pop tones. The ensuing “Borrowed Body” envelops with a warming folk-led entrancement, where twangy guitars and steady acoustics bolster cathartic vocal output: “As soon as you have it, you just want to grab it.” The track was written in response to global protest movements, and embodies a running message throughout the release — which is to face grief, tumult, and injustice directly, rather than retreating into subtle avoidance.
Another highlight, “Damn, I Almost Had You” excels with a climactic folk swell, maneuvering seamlessly from understated acoustics into heartfelt strings as serene vocals and consistent percussion persist. Elsewhere, “Flames and Gasoline” puts on a clinic in atmospheric immersion, infusing spacey synth buzzing alongside twanging guitars as “this is meant to burn like fire” vocal power shines with ardent sincerity. Lou Heron is a gripping success, from start to finish, from Les Ailes.
