Stewart Legere’s debut studio album, ‘Quiet The Station’ is a magnificently haunting folk-pop fusion. Legere’s sound rivals that of genre elites Fleet Foxes and Bon Iver while maintaining his identity and originality. Listening to this album is a beautiful experience made possible by Legere’s poetic lyrics, gorgeous harmonies by back-up vocalists, and mesmerizing guitar.
Perhaps the most outstanding track on ‘Quiet The Station’ is ‘Carry The River’. The song is reminiscent of a Sunday morning in a country church, complete with the choir of Legere’s back-up vocalists. Like the poems of the Romantic period, ‘Quiet The Station’ conveys themes of worship to love and nature. ‘Carry The River’ is Legere at his most determined and devout to these ideals. This song is like a 5-minute “Hallelujah!” for the soul.
Legere is a masterful lyricist. If folk-pop isn’t your thing, you should listen to ‘Quiet The Station’ just to hear the beauty in these lyrics. Some of the most notable lyrics from this album come from ‘Dig Into The Dirt’, a song about the monuments we build to love. “If our love is a totem a thousand feet tall, I will worship the sparrows flying over it all” is profoundly more romantic than your last #mcm or #wcw Instagram caption. Each word on this album sounds thoughtfully and artfully placed and is delightful and refreshing to hear.
It’s a curious time of year for Legere to choose for the release of this album. Whether it’s strategic releasing the album in time for festival season, or simply convenient; ‘Quiet The Station’ sounds like a soundtrack for springtime. Themes of rejoice and celebration play over a background of sorrowful emotion, akin to the melting of the snow. The way each song builds is the sprouting of new flowers and Legere’s voice is a cool breeze strengthened by Kim Harris, Melanie Stone, Don Brownrigg, Rose Cousins and Jenn Grant. There couldn’t be a more perfect time to listen to ‘Quiet The Station’.
This album has been four years in the making and the anticipation has paid off; ‘Quiet The Station’ is a masterpiece of a debut. ‘Quiet The Station’ is available April 21st to treat your ears to these mesmerizing melodies.