ANDIE FRANCOEUR Morning Light (Self-released)

According to the ever-reliable Wikipedia, the label “folktronica” seems to have originated in the British press, having come to encompass performers and bands that include elements of ambient electronica, folk, jazz, classical, and even hip-hop. At face value, there is plenty that can go wrong with trying to combine the disparate sound and approache of folk music and electronica.

Andie Francoeur herself is the eldest daughter of a classic rock/blues artist & trained for 16 years as a classical pianist which makes her forays into so-called folktronica a puzzling choice. Having teamed up with producer/auteur Jazno (from Mercymachine) in 2005, Morning Light is the product of this collaboration and experimentations into the earthy and synthetic.

To be honest, for the first half of Morning Light, this hybrid does not quite work for me as the fake orchestral/exotic instrumental sounds overwhelm the torchy melodies on Fallen Out, Tears I Did Not Cry, Cloud Number 9 and Love Song. BUT beginning with Nothing, a thoughtful commentary on religion and parental relationship (which is the same thing), the electronics play a proper supporting role to the songs – which certainly rise up to the occassion. It does not hurt that a gorgeous pedal steel pulls all the (heart) strings to deliever an emotionally satisfying exercise.

The rest of Morning Light – the confessional title track, the fragile & musical Ordinary Romance and rather straightforward alt-poppy These Thoughts – provides enough promise for future projects. For the moment, Morning Light is bit of a mish-mash of good intentions but that 2nd half is certainly worth the price of admission, especially when Francoeur goes a little more trad/country-torch on us and brings the wailing pedal steel to the forefront.

Check out Andie Francoeur’s Myspace page.