Knee-deep in the 21st Century, when autotune has overridden the wail of the wah-wah pedal and the tactile splendor of a 45 has been replaced by the non-entity of a digital streaming service, Toronto-based singer- songwriter Chloë Doucet seems to have been hand- selected by the ghost of George Harrison to reinvigorate the classic notion of guitar-driven rock & roll. While what we now refer to as “classic rock” tends to feel plodding and steeped in nostalgia, Doucet’s incandescent vocals, scrappy guitar riffs and meditative, often whimsical lyrics look toward a fresh & rebellious future while simultaneously paying homage to her beloved lo-fi past.
An ardent Beatles lover since early childhood, Doucet’s love for the guitar feels like more of a journey than a choice. After cutting her teeth as a member of the cleverly- named garage rock duo Side Hustle, she has since found her niche as a subtle yet powerful solo artist a la Harry Nilsson or Carole King; through recent collaborations with members of Toronto’s Zeus, Chloë remains entirely in control of her own vision. Hers are sparkling, contemplative melodies, corduroy-textured & saturated in shades of butterscotch & goldenrod, the kind of songs meant to be listened to on headphones in moments of late summer solitude. Her new single, “Stormy Blue,” is no exception, pairing an addictively sunshiney melody with her trademark lyrical introspection. “Music is like magic,” Chloë says herself— a magic that her uncanny, understated ability to capture manages to elude time or place, instead defining a moment that is entirely her own.