Tess Roby, whose debut album, Beacon, introduced us to a gifted singer-songwriter comfortably making her way around pristinely executed acoustic and electronic compositions, is two singles deep into the promotional cycle for upcoming LP Ideas of Space and it’s clear it’s going to be one special sophomore excursion.
“Up 2 Me,” the second single from the Montreal-based artist’s Ideas of Space, showcases the intricate and almost sacred headspace she crafted seamlessly on her debut album. (That record, no surprise, is among my favorites of the past decade.) This time around the instrumentation tends toward more of the electronic side, with arpeggiations that fly around Roby’s delightful vocals like raindrops atop a steady drum machine that pulsates a type of suspended kinesis. Her lyrics have a mantra-like repetition, taking on a kind-of vocal Steve Reich quality. It’s a beautiful song. Fans of Dawn to Dawn, her new electronic trio with Adam Ohr and Patrick Lee, will find a lot to like here; although it’s much less dance- or beat-oriented than that project.
You can pre-order the album on vinyl and in digital form via Bandcamp. It releases on April 22 via SSURROUNDSS, the new label she formed after leaving Italians Do It Better. Don’t forget to check out the excellent first single, the title cut, too.
The Videos
Roby has released videos to accompany both “Up 2 Me” and “Ideas of Space.” For your convenience, I’m embedding both of them below:
Tess Roby on Tour
- March 29 – Toronto – The Garrison w/ Austra
- March 30 – Toronto – The Danforth Music Hall w/ Men I Trust
- March 31 – Toronto – The Danforth Music Hall w/ Men I Trust
- April 11 – Montreal – Corona Theatre w/ Men I Trust
- April 12 – Montreal – Corona Theatre w/ Men I Trust
- April 13 – Montreal – Corona Theatre w/ Men I Trust
- May 26 – Toronto – St Anne’s Parish Hall (Record Release Show)
- June 2 – Montreal – PHI Centre (Record Release Show)
