Charlotte Gainsbourg - Rest (2017)

Charlotte Gainsbourg probed the inner workings of her mind and her fear of mortality on IRM; on Rest, she eloquently explores the aftermath of loss. She was so grief-stricken after the 2013 death of her half-sister Kate Barry -- who fell from a fourth-floor apartment window -- that she relocated her family to New York City for a fresh start. That feeling of accepting loss, but not being consumed by it, dwells within every aspect of Rest; even its title speaks to the many layers of stillness and rejuvenation within its songs. Gainsbourg is an expert at confronting and expressing difficult emotions in her film roles, and the same can be said for her work as a musician on this album. She sounds more in control of her voice than ever before, and for good reason: Gainsbourg wrote Rest's lyrics after years of not feeling ready to share her own words with the world.