Opening with a beautiful finger-picked electric guitar progression that soon builds into a steady percussive groove, Abigail Lapell sings, “Bring me water, bring me wine / Bring me flower garlands / Will you be my valentine / Will you be my darlin’,” in her latest single, “Rattlesnake.”
With the help of brilliant acoustics from the 200-year-old church that is St. Mark’s in Ontario, Canada, where it was recorded, (along with the rest of her upcoming album, Anniversary) the song creates a most haunting and resonating effect on the listener. The church can be seen in the accompanying music video, which displays dual screens showcasing Lapell and her band performing inside.
The track picks up like a galloping horse as it progresses, and a trippy vocal delay soon creeps in to select parts of the verses, creating a magnificently powerful sound. After awhile and a few listens, the song almost gives off a mystical, Native American energy in its welcomed instrumental repetition and Lapell’s chant-like vocals.
The echoing melodies of “Rattlesnake” match the resonating quality of Lapell’s vocals, sending chills up the listener’s spine. The dual screens also compliment this doubled vocal effect. “‘Rattlesnake’ weaves together fragments of lore and superstition with a long-distance love story,” Lapell states. “It came out of a fascination with different superstitious traditions, love omens, herbalist incantations – in the song, these are offered as a series of aphorisms to a beloved out on some kind of journey, hopefully soon to return.”
Lapell dove deeper into her musical pallet by making use of St. Mark’s in-house piano, harpsichord, and even a few antique organs, better achieving the sound she envisioned.
Her sinuous storytelling and sound doesn’t end at “Rattlesnake.” Her upcoming album, Anniversary, made up of 11 songs, emulates the notion of revolution and tradition, offering a nostalgic ode to everlasting love and growing old with someone. It’s a collection of songs celebrating the feat of commitment, tackling the dichotomy of love, with examples being, “…light and dark, love and loss, fleeting and eternal – even in the traditional wedding vows, ‘sickness and health, richer or poorer,’” Lapell says.
Anniversary — which is slated for a May 10th release via Outside Music — follows her acclaimed 2022 album, Stolen Time, and offers an exciting direction in Lapell’s musical career. With a slew of dates across Canada this spring, she will hedge forth on a US tour starting May 30th in Saratoga Springs, NY.
Note* Paul Howard contributed to this article.
