Places

2013 album from the French singer/songwriter. As the daughter of international icon Jane Birkin and Jacques Doillon, and with Serge Gainsbourg as her step-father, it goes without saying that Lou was born into a creative environment. Although she originally pursued acting and modeling careers, Lou always kept music as a hobby, and even wrote many songs in English, which she refers to as her 'private language.' the first single off the album 'Devil or Angel,' an immediate classic, is a ballad sung by a woman freed at last, summoning up Velvets-loaded memories. The album continues to showcase Lou's unique voice and timbre. Much like Cat Power, Lou Doillon is equally at home with an acoustic range (the iridescent clearing in the middle of the album: Same Old Game) and brass-backed soul (Jealousy and Questions And Answers - two visas for Memphis). These livelier tunes also heighten the depth of her startlingly flexible voice. The strongly autobiographical lyrics on Places reveal years of transience, a troubled personality and a rebellious nature. Throughout the 40-minute listening experience, Lou Doillon manages to turn everything you may think you know upside down.