Deliverance to Peace, Cloé Beaudoin's Way

So any of you guys out there who have been reading for a while know that Cloé Beaudoin isn't new to New Rock News 43. She was featured here as a new artist about a month ago, and now I'm pleased to bring here back again, this time with a new twist.

Fresh from the release of her debut album, Living in the Shadow, Beaudoin's new release is her Rest in Peace EP (typeset as Rest in Peace- EP), which consists of four tracks, three acoustic, and one all-new, full-band recording. That would be enough to excite me, and should be enough to do the same to you guys, but NRN43 is all about detail and no bullshit, and I know it's been a slow couple of days, so I'm gonna go as deep into this EP as I can.

The title track on the EP, "Rest in Peace (RIP)" is, in my opinion, Beaudoin's greatest triumph. That was what I felt and thought when I heard the acoustic version of it on her Youtube channel. Now one can only imagine what I think with her release of the all-new, full-band version of the song. On her Youtube channel, Beaudoin notes that the song is inspired by the popular fiction novels in the Twilight Saga series, and it's my concrete opinion that if this song doesn't appear in the next Twilight movie release, than the director behind that camera is a complete moron. I would even go so far as to push for this song's use in the trailers for the film. The first time I heard "Rest in Peace (RIP)" I had chills. Now it feels like the whole ground is breaking apart under me. The way this songs builds from a soft, acoustic ballad to a hard-rock-inspired romantic anthem is incredible. The drums and bass that Beaudoin has clearly spent a lot of time and effort getting just right give this track the hardcore kick it lacked acoustically, and the stop-start palm-muted chords are post-grunge in effect until the blast-out chorus that is a clear throwback to Evanescence and Flyleaf takes off. Beaudoin's voice is a force all its own, and its bright hypnotic tone shoots this song right to the top of my most-played list for the week, and probably the month. In every way that Evanescence succeeds with "Bring Me to Life," and that Amy Lee herself succeeds vocally with her part on Seether's song "Broken," Cloé Beaudoin so triumphs on "Rest in Peace (RIP)." With a building guitar progression that climaxes in tragic and romantic intensity, I declare once again that this is Beaudoin's finest effort yet. And with a song like this under her belt, I know I have to hear more.

I took time to talk about "Deliverance" last time, so I'm gonna move passed that one right now, though it still stands as an amazing track, and one of my favorite songs by Beaudoin. Fresh and Romeo & Juliet in tone and nature, "Deliverance" is most certainly a song I would love to hear with a full band when Beaudoin decides it's the right time. Even acoustically, Beaudoin knocks it out of the ballpark with this one.

After "Deliverance" I move to a track I haven't heard before. "Dying Awake" has, if nothing else, a great title. Slow and sensual in its beginning, Beaudoin's vocals are smokey and romantic, and fog my mind with the haze of lust and love on a stormy winter's night by the fire. The chords are simple, and I love it. There is no need for any meticulous or intricate note progressions here, and truthfully, it might almost ruin the simple romanticism of the track. Cloé Beaudoin's darkly romantic and almost tragically loving music is something so unique I have to make up a new word to describe it. With a sound and tone I can only describe as romantcore (for whatever that means), Beaudoin contributes another five-star track to what promises to be a must-hear EP.

Lastly, there is "Brink of Insanity," a song that is much faster than the previous two, even if it i still acoustic. Beaudoin proves here with sharp chords and strong, determined vocals that she can throw her weight around with the other heavy players of the alternative scene, and not just sit safely in the acoustic light. A great song that seems a departure for Beaudoin in a way or two I can't quite put my finger on, that's why I love it. The mystery behind the notes and chords adds to its dusky bliss. The last track on the EP, "Brink of Insanity" wraps up nicely, and furnishes the other songs with a nice black bow and a metaphorical rose.

On here return to New Rock News 43, Beaudoin brings with her an EP most deserving of praise, and proof that her time away was not in vain. I am more than a little excited to get my hands on this, and you better believe that when I get up to school and on the radio, "Rest in Peace (RIP)" will be on heavy rotation for me. It's not news that this girl is going places, but I don't think I even knew what kind of talent she had buried deep down, and now, I know I and the rest of her fans are only beginning to see the tip of the iceberg.

Sounds Like: Evanescence, Amy Lee (solo), Flyleaf, Meg & Dia

Key Tracks from Rest in Peace- EP: "Rest in Peace (RIP)," "Dying Awake," "Brink of Insanity"

Check out Cloé Beaudoin more at: http://www.cloebeaudoin.com/index.php, http://www.myspace.com/cloebeaudoinmusic and http://www.youtube.com/user/cloebeaudoin

Cloé Beaudoin Rips My Heart Out

As all you guys probably could have surmised from my posts over the past few months, I've been trying to get more regular in my posting so you guys have a semi-structured blog to come back to every week or so. But ever the erratic music lover, there are just some days when I discover an amazing talent and I just can't wait to share it with you guys. I do promise to try and space all the posts a few days apart, so due justice is done to both you, the readers, and the artists, who might not be able to rush to my site and read the new article immediately. Never fear though, because if you do happen to miss a new post, or if I've posted a new one unexpectedly, you can always check out the most recent posts in the archive section of my blog. There's just too much talent out there for me to stifle myself all the time, so just take it as it comes guys haha.
Okay, enough blabbering on about stuff you all really don't care about haha. My post today (I would say this week, but I might have more coming for you guys sooner, lol, so we'll just have to see) is about an incredibly talented young woman from Quebec, Canada: Cloé Beaudoin. Now, I don't pretend to know anything about classical music and voice training, but after listening to this girl, I would bet anything that she's what voice instructors spend their lives hoping to discover. With a voice that reaches high into the rafters of my heart and soul, Beaudoin's notes immediately remind me of Lacey Mosely (Flyleaf), and Amy Lee (Evanescence) in particular.
One thing I love about this young artist already is that many of her songs seem to be inspired by serious topics, and those that aren't explicitly so still carry the feeling of having some deeper importance.
Case in point is the first track I listen to on Beaudoin's Youtube channel, "If This Is the End." By Beaudoin's comments, I learn that this one is written to denounce domestic abuse, a worthy cause if ever there was one. "If This Is the End" is a brilliant first track for me, filled with resonating guitar chords and boasting heavy yet insightful lyrics. What I can't get over, though, is Beaudoin's voice. The notes this girl can hit, so seamlessly and beautifully, intrigue me and absolutely floor me. Her voice is so much like that of Amy Lee, but only in range. Beaudoin's vocals are neither copied nor strained; she's not trying to be anyone but herself, and in that light she succeeds beyond anything I would have initially expected. A beautiful track until the end, I wonder if anything else can even begin to compete with it.
Beaudoin doesn't let up for one moment. The next track I pick out from her slew of originals I pick in part because of the note under it: "Inspired by a suicide note." With anything like that following the title, I know I have to listen to the song. I'm not disappointed at all. "Deliverance" is initially faster than "If This Is the End," but slows immediately as Beaudoin's vocals enter, and so already has thrown me in my expectation. The chorus on this one is brilliant: a full-throttle progression that kicks my heart rate up in much the same way as do many Evanescence and Flyleaf songs. Then suddenly, it ends, and the verses slow down once again, leaving me thinking of how flawlessly Beaudoin employs the Pixies' loud-quite-loud dynamic. Never have I heard it applied to acoustic music in such a way that it just jumps right out at me. "Deliverance" is one of the must-hear tracks on Beaudoin's Youtube channel, no contest.
The last track that I will let myself talk about here (because let's face it, once you hear this girl, you're gonna agree with me that nothing I write here can possibly do her justice) is the song "Rest in Peace (RIP)." This one, according to Beaudoin, was inspired by the Twilight Saga book series, and in much the same way that Meg & Dia use their favorite books to wring songs from their talented minds, Beaudoin uses this one to inspire one of her (in my humble opinion) most amazing songs. "Rest in Peace (RIP)" has, among its many bragging rights, an incredible vocal performance from Beaudoin. Right from the first chords she strums on her guitar, Beaudoin's voice is wafting up through my mind, washing away everything I thought I knew about acoustic vocals. I know I can't do this girl justice, but I'm gonna try. With a voice that would make angel's go green with envy, Beaudoin sends "Rest in Peace (RIP)" over the top with lyrics that resonate with every fiber of my being. A bombastic chorus blasts from her guitar, and everything about this song spells romance and forbidden love.
If Beaudoin never had anything else to call her own, she would still have "Rest in Peace (RIP)." But that's not the case at all. More originals abound all over her Youtube channel and Myspace. "Infected" and "Brink of Insanity" test her strengths even further, but I'm gonna let you guys discover those gems for yourselves. Just released recently, 2009's Living in the Shadow showcases some of Beaudoin's best tracks, and many more that make it one of the albums I'm gonna rush out to hear in its entirety. Don't forget the name Cloé Beaudoin; this girl is going places. Still under 20 years old, I believe that we haven't even begun to see the talent that resides in this girl. I'd keep my ears peeled for her if I was you, because there's no way this girl's talent is gonna go unrecognized. Hell would freeze over first.

Sounds Like: Evanescence, Amy Lee (solo), Flyleaf, Meg & Dia, The Wreckers

Key Tracks: "If This Is the End," "Rest in Peace (RIP)," "Deliverance," "Infected"

Check out Cloé Beaudoin more at: http://www.cloebeaudoin.com/index.php, http://www.myspace.com/cloebeaudoinmusic and http://www.youtube.com/user/cloebeaudoin