Lilac Everything

Editors’ Notes In 2013, Emma Louise recorded a few songs with vocals pitched down. It was a far cry from her usual high, angelic voice, and she named that deepened register Joseph. You won’t hear Emma Louise on her third LP, Lilac Everything—just Joseph. The unique album, which only features those altered vocals, came about in Mexico, where Louise flew to escape a creative slump while in Melbourne. There, she worked with Tobias Jesso Jr., who took it on for his first project as a producer. While tracks such as the lush piano ballad “Wish You Well” and “Gentleman” might sound like familiar musical terrain for the singer, the deep, smoky baritone of her voice casts these songs—and Louise herself—in an entirely new light.