Le Ren

Le Ren is the moniker used by singer-songwriter Lauren Spear, whose sedate, mostly low tempo songs carry deep emotional resonance while capturing a level of folk purity that brings artists like Kate Wolf to mind. She comes from country and bluegrass background, and a bit of her country roots occasionally peek through her otherwise fully acoustic, quiet, contemplative, and mournful style. Her first album, the EP Morning & Melancholia was a relatively short record, but it was mostly a monument to bereavement that packed a considerable amount of sorrow and loss. Her work since then has been suggesting a glimpse of some sunshine over the horizon, partially underscored by her arrangements that involve the pedal steel and the banjo. She has a commanding, patient voice that adds a haunting quality to her songs.