Joelle Bensaïd, Dry Spells, and Musical Idols
Interview and Review ★ Hadley Balser ★ @hadleybalseronpitch ★ 2 Minutes
Local NYC artist Joelle Bensaïd has released a debut album, Dry Spells, that reflects the folksy, jazz influences of her idols but brings with it a collection of beautiful, reflective pieces with gorgeous arrangements. Bensaïd herself is like a mix of elegant whimsigoth and Olivia Dean’s lyrics, all wrapped into one. She carries herself well and speaks intentionally about her work and inspirations.
Joelle Bensaïd via Laura SongThe most remarkable thing about Dry Spells is the intentional, polished finish of each song. Despite the lack of direct ties, songs like “Bell, Book, and Candle” call to mind Fiona Apple’s masterful debut, Tidal. Although the richer elements of Bensaïd’s sound don’t have Apple’s 90s grit, the subject matter of the songs and the focus on smooth vocals is enough to make the comparison. Songs like “The First Taste” offer the same sensuality as “Bell, Book, and Candle,” and add texture to the album. The instrumentation of the album is a clear standout, and one Bensaïd included enthusiastically.
“I feel like, with this album, I was really excited about, like, every instrument possible. I want saxophone, I want flute, I want all of this stuff, and it was just really fun.”
My favorite track, “At the Altar,” has become an earworm in my home. The combination of Bensaïd’s smooth voice and the instrumentation and hook of the song makes it the perfect song for commuting, doing work, reading, or relaxing. The lyrics “Play me that record again / You know the one / I’m always humming / It’s hard to know where you end / and I begin / and who I’m becoming” perfectly exemplify how this song makes the listener feel. “At the Altar” showcases the contented joy that comes with falling in love, but includes all the introspection that comes with it.
For future projects, though, Bensaïd wants to channel the straightforwardness of stripped-down folk. When taking a class from artist Madison Cunningham, she tried songwriting with a technique called “object writing.” She explains it as a type of focusing technique to remove mental criticisms or blocks.
“I focus on an object, and I’ll incorporate all my senses when talking about it, and then I’ll take a line from what I wrote and then use that as a lyric and a starting point.”
Unrecorded songs like “Marble” were written this way, and are a technique Bensaïd means to use to write her new project.
Another big inspiration for this shift is folk legend Joni Mitchell, and the whimsigoth aesthetic of the iconic Stevie Nicks.
“For the next [album], I want to hone in a little bit more…and be really intentional about every layer and play with texture a lot more…I feel like Joni is my biggest songwriting inspiration, and Stevie Nicks, I mean…she’s just like, a gift wrapped in a bow.”
Another influence on Bensaïd’s work is 70s artist Judee Sill. Sill often incorporated baroque and churchy elements into her music that inspired one of Bensaïd’s favorites from the album, “Like A Woman Scorned.”
Dry Spells reflects the diversity of Bensaïd’s musical background and is a wonderful debut album from an artist who's just getting started.
Listen to this playlist inspired by Joelle Bensaïd’s Dry Spells, stream the album on Spotify, and follow her on Instagram to catch her local NYC shows and stay updated on new music!
