Loneliest In The Morning

There’s an occasional embellishment from a pedal steel guitar and even a band for “Sorry Pt. II,” but the majority of *Loneliest In the Morning*, the 1997 album that former Eric’s Trip bassist Julie Doiron issued under her own name (as opposed to her previous solo album as Broken Girl), is built on a spare minimalism of rudimentary electric guitar and Doiron’s careful and gentle voice. While her songs express direct emotions with lyrics that read like confessional poetry (“Love to Annoy,” “Creative Depression”), her delivery is shy and cautious, immersing itself in melodies that skate over the darker sentiments. The songs themselves are kept short and to the point; nothing crosses the four-minute mark and many nail down their accomplishments in barely two. Her simplicity and brevity may give the impression that these are little, lightweight songs, but that is far from the truth. “Sweeter” lasts only a minute and a half but it has a compulsive beauty that insists on its being repeated for satisfaction. By stripping her music to its barest essentials, Doiron leaves the listener wanting more. This 2008 reissue adds three bonus tracks that were originally issued as singles, including “Who Will Be the One” and “Too Much” which she cut with the Wooden Stars as her backing group.

Originally released in 1997 by Sub Pop, 'Loneliest In The Morning' was Doiron’s second solo release and her first release as Julie Doiron (having dropped the moniker Broken Girl). This re-issue comes complete with three bonus tracks: “Second Time” from split 7” with Snailhouse and the tracks “Who Will Be The One” and “Too Much” from the 7” release Doiron recorded with the Wooden Stars. Loneliest In The Morning — an album Pitchfork described as “catchy enough to knock Liz Phair upside the head” — is a critical piece to the Doiron catalog and given the wonderful relationship Doiron and Jagjaguwar have forged over the last decade, this re-issue is particularly significant. Julie Doiron began her career in music in 1990 at the age of 18 in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada playing bass in Eric's Trip, a folky yet psychedelic band that were to become the undisputed underground darlings of Canadian music. Eric's Trip were the first of many maritime Canadians signed to Sub Pop and found international recognition, releasing several albums and touring widely. Following 1996's Purple Blue, Eric's Trip announced their breakup and Julie Doiron embarked on her solo career, first releasing songs as Broken Girl and soon under her own name starting with Loneliest In The Morning, which was recorded in Memphis, TN with producer Dave Shouse of the Grifters. She has released seven full-lengths and three EPs, including the Juno Award-winning Julie Doiron & the Wooden Stars album.

Prior to Loneliest in the Morning, Julie Doiron was part of the influential Canadian band Eric's Trip.