Artist: Augustine
Album: Neither Nightmares Nor Dreams Come True
Release Date: January 26, 2023
Genre: Dark Folk/ Folk
Montreal, QC-based artist Augustine has unveiled her 7-song album, Neither Nightmares Nor Dreams Come True, which follows her noteworthy first album, The Devil In Me, which was released in 2016.
Neither Nightmares Nor Dreams Come True opens with her two previously released singles, “Slow Train” and “Silence.”
Track 4 on the release “To the victim” begins with a tranquil beat, which is joined by Augustine’s distinctive, haunting vocals. The lyrics tell a story of a terrifying day, of a victim, and how something like this affects everyone around. The lyrics “I can’t get out of my head the nightmarish face of that missing girl who was found dead” bring visions of not only this story but of our own traumatic experiences. As the song continues, Augustine sings, “And today I see, Everyone, That I love, As potential corpses,” which immediately gave me chills.
Closing out the release, “Thérèse” brings forth a similar soul-stirring vibe. Augustine’s vocals throughout the song are low and deep, which adds to the mysterious, chilling tone of the song. The lyrics, “I think I’m losing control, Like a pilot on a broken plane, All of my efforts to get a grip are vain, Mayday, SOS, help me, I’m falling, To the ground, Bang, boom,” gives the listener a visual of how someone feels as they are sinking into a dark place. The track ends with a verse sung in french, which reminds me of a hymn that would be sung in church.
Coming in at under the 30-minute mark, the album is a beautifully written collection of songs that does a great job at stirring up various emotions, which is both amazing and frightening all at once.