What a debut! Faith AuCoin enlists the help of Liz Fagan for a show of true queer excellence (and during Pride month no less!) on “In My Hands”. The latter might ring a bell from their similarly named Liz Fagan Band, a longtime staple of the Canadian underground. The pair found footing together through the RPM challenge, where they tasked themselves with writing and recording within the month of February. It sparked such a good song Faith asked Liz to record professionally, and I’m really grateful she did.
I love the fuzzed out, low growl guitars played with enough restraint to hold back tears. The leads are so tender by comparison; they just gently nudge you, and that’s enough to send you over the edge. The echoes and lavish shimmers can be appreciated in a stellar mix that really juice out the best from every performance. Even minimal, they are so intentional that they leave room for you to literally sit within the song.
The song, as nostalgic as it is, creeps in a feeling about how we arrive at love. It’s the scary “I can’t do this” feeling you get on the car drive there. It’s the acceptance, and it’s ultimately the view of two people sharing and hoping for the best. The two voices mesh together so well that I’m almost bummed out it’s not a regular occurrence, but make no mistake, AuCoin has me waiting for whatever’s coming next in whichever shape it is (which we’re told may come sooner than we might think! Keep an eye out for the end of July.)
Now, you know I usually try to cover work outside the Anglophone world, but the alternative should be propelled forward wherever you find it. AuCoin is queer and Qualipu Mik’maq, and I’m glad she carries it proudly wherever she goes. In my hometown scene, I’ve seen both LGBT+ and native people be arbitrarily disqualified without being able to get a foot in the door, even when they’d usually be the best band on the roster (and they shouldn’t have to be to get in anyways).
The song released today (June 26), so get listening and happy Pride!
Written by Charlotte Lacambra
