ALBUM REVIEW: Lifetime Of Tears – Louise Lemón

It’s increasingly rare that the worlds of mainstream music and the darker sides of rock/metal have collided in recent years. On occasion, some acts succeed in making the leap from the heavier side of things into the popular spotlight, but this happens even more rarely in reverse. LOUISE LEMÓN, the Scandinavian self-proclaimed ‘Queen of Death Gospel’, is a recent exception to that rule.

While the idea of ‘death gospel’ isn’t necessarily a familiar one, the descriptor isn’t a completely unfitting one. There is less ‘gospel’ in LOUISE LEMÓN’s sound than you might imagine, but the melancholy in her songwriting is channelled through 70s soul-styled vocals to such great effect to be fitting of her Queenhood status. On this third album Lifetime Of Tears, she continues to develop the genre of her own creation by pouring her voice into a story of separation, the grief of that event, and the growth that flows from it.

There is a steady developing sadness throughout the opener Shattered Heart, but Lemón also cuts immediately to the catalyst of the heartbreak with the opening lines “Thought I found a love potion, just found out it was poison.” From this moment the story unfurls, with the desperation and yearning unspooling along with it. There are a few moments on Lifetime Of Tears where the songs are so much larger than you might expect and would seem an obvious fit for massive mainstream airtime; Shattered Heart is the first of these, with gorgeous piano and guitar supplementing the sorrow in her voice. The powerful chorus on Northern Lights is another, moving from would-be chart-topping single into more layered instrumental work with ease.

Tears As Fuel changes the styling slightly, heading in more of a blues rock direction but not losing the sense of scale. Lemón’s echoed vocals add some background to the story of the unhealthy relationship, highlighting the emotional and physical strife from which we hear the account. Instrumentally, the blues rock theme throughout the album is reminiscent of the slower-tempo work of bands like THE DEAD WEATHER and GRAVEYARD, but without the same level of psychedelia of the latter. Tracks like Pure Love are a strong indication of this influence, showing that there’s more than just ‘Death Gospel’ duality to her style.

In regard to the mainstream elements of Lemón’s music, the title track Lifetime Of Tears is pure ADELE in the best possible way. Like her English counterpart, she shows little hesitancy in bearing her scars in full, showcasing her hurt in the most serene of ways. Feels So Good also has a healthy dose of ADELE to it, particularly with the excellent opening hooks that make it one of the catchiest songs of the album – and potentially of 2024 so far.

Lifetime Of Tears is a soulful journey through the tumultuous landscape of heartbreak and healing that leaves no stone unturned on the emotional spectrum. There is a rawness in the lyrics that isn’t projected by her beautiful vocals, but it’s clear that LOUISE LEMÓN knows all too well the despair that comes with the breakdown of a relationship. The combination of her heavier influences with the serenity of her vocals is a perfect match that is both unique and sublime. Lifetime Of Tears is a brilliant addition to her growing Death Gospel catalogue, and an early emotional gut punch for 2024.

Rating: 9/10

Lifetime Of Tears is set for release on February 23rd via Icons Creating Evil Art.

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