Montreal singer-songwriter Brigitte Naggar makes earthy and ruminative music as Common Holly. Following up her 2017 debut Playing House, Naggar has announced her sophomore full-length, When I say to you Black Lightning, her first for new label home Barsuk. The new collection of music chiefly concerns humanity’s emotional challenges and how we approach them as individuals.

Naggar expands on the album’s meaning in a statement:

This record isn’t one singular statement, it documents a period of growth. The songs were written mainly over two years and they all reflect potent moments from that time. While it’s obviously personal and based off of my own experience, I want this album to feel familiar — life gets complicated as we grow, people form relationships to each other, they lose things, they discover pain, fear, self-delusion; sometimes it’s funny, sometimes it’s weird, often it sucks—and we have to navigate our way through all of that.

Along with the announcement comes the song and video for the album’s jail-referencing opening track, “Central Booking.” The Aaliyeh Afshar and Max Taeuschel-directed video shows an inflatable flailing tube man you might see at a car dealership appearing at various locations in an old, forest-hidden motel. Meanwhile, Naggar sits and sings in a room of her own.

Watch below.

TRACKLIST:
01 “Central Booking”
02 “Joshua Snakes”
03 “You Dance”
04 “Measured”
05 “Uuu”
06 “Little Down”
07 “I Try”
08 “It’s Not Real”
09 “Crazy OK”

TOUR DATES:
07/26 – Toronto, ON @ Yonge-Dundas Square # (Chevrolet Indie Fridays)
07/27 – Real Love Fest @ Teulon, MB
07/29 – Minneapolis, MN @ Kitty Kat Club +
07/30 – Chicago, IL @ Schuba’s Tavern +
07/31 – Sandusky, OH @ HALO live +
08/02 – New York, NY @ Trans Pecos (Night Class) +
08/03 – Portland, ME @ The Apohadion +

# w/ Sky Wallace
+ w/ Mauno

When I say to you Black Lightning is out 10/11 on Barsuk. Pre-order it here.

CREDIT: Alex Apostolidis