Renee & Jeremy present a gentle yet groovy reimagination of the ‘80s Pixies rocker that is both wry and reassuring. The June 11th release of WholeLottaLove – featuring 11 covers of Led Zeppelin, INXs, Guns N’ Roses, MGMT, Sly & the Family Stone, and the B52s – will be their first studio album in nine years. Produced with Rich Jacques over the months of the pandemic, “Where Is My Mind” and the other songs offer a thoughtful sonic gift to their fans.
WholeLottaLove maintains the whisper folk sound and family-friendliness of earlier Renee & Jeremy albums, while delving a little more deeply and darkly into the human predicament. As Jeremy Toback (known to many as the bassist for the ‘90s Seattle grunge rock band Brad) says, “We enjoyed seeing A Little Lovecross over on SiriusXM Coffeehouse as well as streaming covers playlists. So, we set out to make a record that could touch those music fans and our family music home base as well, with both the arrangements and song choices reflecting a more full spectrum of emotion.”
Adds Renee Stahl, who received critical acclaim, national radio play and awards for her last solo release Simpatico, “I am excited to share this music with everyone. It’s been a long time since we released a full album. It feels right for this moment in time. Gentleness, nurturing and acceptance is what we all need right now.” She notes that Jacques was “incredibly integral” to the song selection and orchestration, with a “less is more” approach.
Renee & Jeremy have racked up more than 100 million streams of their music on Spotify, Pandora, Apple Music, YouTube and other music platforms. Their 2007 album It’s a Big World is ranked as one of the top 50 baby music albums of all time (Babble), and albums C’Mon (which Popdose called “stellar”), A Little Love(which OWTK called “everything in the world that is warm, good, and beautiful”), and their EP Sunny Christmas (which Blogcritics called “a delight”) have become family favorites. Their producer Rich Jacques is also a songwriter based in Los Angeles who works with Lisa Loeb among others; he is known for his collaborative approach. The spare, hushed production only enhances the tight and perfectly synched harmonies of the duo, whose sound has been compared to “Jack Johnson meets the coed Indigo Girls” (Cool Mom Picks).
The birth of children inspired the original Renee & Jeremy songs and albums, and their signature lullaby “It’s a Big World” continues to resonate as a celebration of new life. Now, as the So Cal artists parent their teenagers, the emphasis has shifted to reflect the challenges and complexities and hopefulness of the summer of 2021.
Fans may keep up with Renee & Jeremy by visiting www.reneeandjeremy.comand their social media:
No comments:
Post a Comment