Whale Heart Records

Announcing "Tall Shoulders"

Lille is 18 year old singer/songwriter Grace Bellury, set to release" Tall Shoulders" tomorrow, June 22, 2010. Pronounced "Leel", and named for the town in France, the record is full of haunting vocals, clever lyrics, and melancholy ukulele. Whale Heart Records' newest artist, Grace is already making waves in the Atlanta music scene.

Coming from a musically eclectic family gave Grace a launching pad into the world of all things melodic and whimsical. She grew up singing Beatles songs on her father's lap, and listening to him endlessly tap out melodies on an old piano until she drifted to sleep. She took up the mandolin after her first heartbreak, and the ukulele after her second, finding strange beauty in the melancholy nature of brokenness. After a few years of writing songs and melodies she began to play occasional shows for small audiences. In the fall of 2009 she signed onto Whale Heart Records, the home of Pacific Theater, Duchess Leo, and Little Horn. "Tall Shoulders" is her first EP.

FensePost Review

Oh, to be young again. Better yet, to be young, talented and full of promise. No, we’re not talking about a NCAA basketball prodigy. We are talking about Grace Bellury, a.k.a. Lille (like the French city, pronounced “Leel”). This Atlanta native, in your short existence, has a voice that sends chills down the back of your neck with a pleasurable burn more powerful than a vampire in sunlight (one that burns, not sparkles). At 18 years old, this songstress has debuted herself perfectly with her first EP, Tall Shoulders.

The self titled cut, “Tall Shoulders”, is a pure and genuine confession of one woman’s pain and love felt in only a quarter of the 21 grams our heart weighs in at. It is a story of hope, and growth. Eventually there will come a time when her age won’t be of any importance. But, for now, we’ll just stick to the idea that it is very impressive how much tragedy and hope this young lady is able to conjure up into a very respectable and enjoyable song.

Though Tall Shoulders consists mainly of small folk ditties, the indie pop track “Blue Coat Boy” sticks out as a showcase sort of experimentation we will likley hear from Lille in the future.

Bellury distinguishes herself through a strange metamorphosis that contains a sweltering and impeccable set of vocal chords, a knack for songwriting, and a special enlightenment when it comes to artistic creativity and ingenuity. Tall Shoulders is, at its very least, a wonderful beginning to a career that his sure to be long and prosperous.

By Ron Trembath | PERMALINK

Campus Circle Review

While Grace Bellury, the singer-songwriter of Lille, may have a sweet voice, there is nothing small about her sound. The richness of her vocals adds the distinctive tones of a jazz singer to the catchy indie rock tunes on Tall Shoulders.

This five-song EP features track after track of instantly alluring tunes that marry melancholy and rock. From the simple xylophone and scratchy guitar opening of “Straw,” the listener is bathed in mesmerizing melody that punctuates the biting lyrics with the elegant simplicity of the instrumentation. The album shifts easily into “Robert Cohn” and “Melancholera” as the instruments slowly blossom behind the vocals. By the time we reach “Blue Coat Boy,” the instruments have moved into the forefront.

The only complaint that could come out of this beautiful EP is that its sweet taste will leave you craving more.

By Jonathan Knell | PERMALINK

Performer Mag Review

While Lille's debut EP contains only five songs, what it lacks in length it makes up for in sheer emotion. It's clear that Grace Bellury, the teenage songstress behind the one-woman band, poured her heart and soul into this album. Bellury's weapon of choice is the ukulele, but Tall Shoulders isn't just the folksy fluff such an instrument usually elicits. Oscillating between intimate and ornate, the album builds on a base of ukulele and expands to incorporate bass, drums - even something like a Theremin at one point - into soaring orchestrations.

Although her penchant for strumming tiny guitars is noticeable, Bellury's voice is what really shines. Crystal clear, yet surprisingly mature, it tones down the saccharine sweetness of the ukulele and carries her deeply emotive melodies. Certainly if there is any one phrase to describe Tall Shoulders, it is "surprisingly mature." This is music that is fully fleshed-out and carefully thought about.

Nowhere is this more apparent than in "Melancholera," easily the most haunting, most lush song on the album. Beginning with the strum of her ukulele, it flourishes as she wails over the loss of a child, then contracts to only the tapping of drum sticks as she sings "bring back my child to me" and fades into a ghostly finish.

It's tempting to draw parallels to Beirut, both in musical style and in sheer talent at such a young age, but Lille is definitely her own woman. Her songs are much more down-to-earth, yet still evoke similar unlimited potential. (Whale Heart Records)

By Hayley Lamberson | PERMALINK