Unessential Oils

This record is a kind of collection of lullabies for adults, it’s a personal offering that hides nothing and stares at you.

That expending feeling after you’ve cried a whole lot, that ever-conflicting existential stand, that philosophical reflection on what is real and the profound admiration we carry for people we love – all these and so much more – can be carried into songs, and they are the focus of Unessential Oils’ fantastic debut. Inspired by jazz, folk, Brazilian Tropicalía and more, the album was co-produced by Christophe Lamarche-Ledoux (Chocolat, Organ Mood) and features bassist Mishka Stein (Patrick Watson, Teke Teke), drummer Tommy Crane (Aaron Parks, Martha Wainwright) and percussionist Martin Dicham (Sade, Talk Talk, Mark Hollis, Tina Turner). Unesssential Oils also shares “Chameleon,” a brand new song and visualizer, exploring the constant coexistence of desiring connection and needing freedom.

The result is an album that is somewhat like a jazz record in that it focuses on the musicians’ performances. Many of the songs are quite minimal in terms of songwriting, but the execution and the musicianship are at the heart of this album; they are adventurous with room for embellishment and improvisation. “I made the record in a way where I was pursuing the sounds and voices of people I wanted and loved. I tried to make them sound even more like themselves, I wanted their instincts, I wanted what they sounded like when they weren’t being recorded. I wanted joy and warmth while we worked.” explains Warren. The microphones were turned up loud and everyone played quietly, complementing Warren’s vocals, which are more conversational in terms of range and volume, almost under-sung. The four backup singers are singing in unison – a hat tip to the backing-vocal style in Brazilian Tropicalía records – gently enveloping the lead vocals.