Photo: LeaAnn B Stephan

Renée Reed takes us on a fantastical walk in the woods on “Où est la fée”

Louisiana songwriter Renée Reed‘s self-titled debut album is coming out at the end of March, and following on from recent single “Fast One” she has today shared “Où est la fée”, which translates to “where is the fairy?”. She explains its genesis:

“‘Où est la fée’ is a dream sequence, a narrative in which I am walking in the woods and find a letter on the ground: ‘Where is the fairy? It’s in your head.’ The letter has possibly been written by an ancestor/guardian angel figure or perhaps another version of myself, sent to point out what I’ve not been recognizing in myself, that I’ve been dealing with life, or rather not dealing with life, by escaping into fantasies. As dream logic does, the narrative focus of the letter and the song bends and blends seamlessly from the personal outward to other people in my life.”

While it at first seems a far cry from the bruised and biting “Fast One”, there is a tendril of connection that they both formed out of the vivid thoughts and dreams in Reed’s head. She sings in French, but even without the comprehension, you feel pulled along by her dusky voice and spooky synth-work. With these simple elements, she conjures an atmosphere that is not entirely hospitable, but is unbearably compelling, luring you deeper into the haunted forest of her mind.

Renée Reed’s debut album Renée Reed is out on March 26 via Keeled Scales. You can find her on Bandcamp, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.