Ada Lea - Can’t Stop Me From Dying
Breathy vocals, a mesmerising melody and smart production make this a winner.
By Kerry Doole
Ada Lea - Can’t Stop Me From Dying (Saddle Creek): Anticipation is high for the Sept. 24 release of one hand on the steering wheel the other sewing a garden, the second album from Montreal-based singer/songwriter Ada Lea (real name Alexandra Levy).
Her debut album what we say in private and other earlier material drew raves from such influential outlets as The Guardian, Pitchfork, The New York Times, The Sunday Times, and Mojo, with The Guardian praising the depth, experience and mystery of her bedroom pop."
Can’t Stop Me From Dying is the latest track taken from the new release. About the song’s origin, Levy explains in a label press release that “I had just come off a difficult tour and was in a kind of trashy mental state and just couldn't shake the weird feeling. I kept imagining this character who dies multiple times throughout the course of a night whenever she makes a mistake, always restarting with a little more clarity than where she began, with the intention of doing things differently the second time around.
"These versions learn from past mistakes and the takeaway of ‘next time, I’ll do things differently’ is how you win the game - not using the mistakes as justifications to the mountain of shame with which we often use to torment ourselves. We’re gonna mess up, we’re gonna hurt people, nothing can stop that from happening and nothing can stop you from dying!”
The song has a modern sheen, complemented by the animated video, and Levy's slightly breathy but clear vocals are easy on the ear. There's a gently mesmerising feel to the melody, and that suits such lyrics as "got a tune in my head, it repeats the chorus again and again." Definite airplay potential here.
Levy penned and demoed this batch of songs in an artist residency in Banff. After sorting and editing she made her way to Los Angeles to record with producer/engineer Marshall Vore (Phoebe Bridgers) who had previously worked on her 2020 EP woman, here. The label bio explains that "the new album is set in Montreal, and each song exists as a dot on a personal history map of the city where Levy grew up. The city exists as both the location of and a character in many of these songs."
Publicity: Ken Beattie, Killbeat
Management: adalea@kelpmanagement.com
Booking: Canada : andre@paquinartistsagency.com
Diljit Dosanjh photographed by Lane Dorsey on July 15 in Toronto. Styling by Alecia Brissett.
Diljit Dosanjh photographed by Lane Dorsey on July 15 in Toronto. Styling by Alecia Brissett.
Diljit Dosanjh photographed by Lane Dorsey on July 15 in Toronto. Styling by Alecia Brissett. On Diljit: Hermès shirt & pants.
Diljit Dosanjh photographed by Lane Dorsey on July 15 in Toronto. Styling by Alecia Brissett. On Diljit: EYTYS jacket