Fleur Girl is the new project of New York City, USA-based singer songwriter Danielle McConaghy. For the project she’s teamed up with cellist Claire Allen to make an intimate, Sufjan Stevens-influenced debut collection. It’s called Jupiter Return.
By Graeme Smith
Feature photo by Jack Flame Sorokin
As with many debuts, Danielle has drawn from her own experience, particularly over the past three years, to tell the story of Jupiter Return. I think we can all agree the past few years have been odd ones, and they not only had an impact on the album’s story, but also its recording process, with Claire adding her cello parts in remotely. Aside from everything else, Danielle’s life was also going through a turbulent time. She’d moved away from home, fallen in love and made new friends. She turned to astrology to help her through the time, hence the album’s name.
Jupiter Return kicks off with The Woods. Soft electro-acoustic guitar sets the early tone, along with a cantering tempo. Danielle’s vocals come in, as does Claire’s cello and you can tell instantly that the pair’s styles suit each other well. Together they create a sound that feels like a soothing balm.
No Sleep Anxiety feels a little rawer, capturing the uneasy mood of the song’s lyrics, but no less beautiful. Gross keeps things raw but is a little livelier, punctuated with ambient sounds, layers of vocal harmonies and punchy lyrics. Claire’s cello feels particularly expressive in it, and it’s an early highlight. The Bouquet, a short but complex, choral, piano-led meditation, then rounds off the album’s first half.
Frog Song takes us in an unexpectedly jazzy direction as the second half of the album kicks off. There’s a warmth to the way it’s been recorded and it’s another highlight. Moors Lullaby is lush and richly ambient while Wedding Song is brooding and lyric-driven. Sadie (sorry for leaving) closes things. An acknowledgement of friends left behind, it’s got a sense of nostalgia about it.
Jupiter Return is such a wonderfully intimate collection, and you can tell how much of herself Danielle has put into it. It’s always a hallmark of a good album for me that an artist is able to put their life on display, and the listener can then find the common ground. That’s exactly what you get from Jupiter Return. You can give the whole album a listen below.
