The Souterrain is a lovely lounge-folk act from Davis that is readying the release of its debut album What Ails You. Singer Lauren Norton is a native of Ireland but moved to California in 2009 to attend UC Davis’ Creative Writing Program to pursue a masters degree. Her voice is velvety and sweet, like feeling the cool Delta breeze on a hot summer afternoon. “We make some strange music, but we do our best to make it pretty,” says the band’s website, http://thesouterrain.com/. “Folk cures, lullabies and revenge fantasies all have their home in our soundscape.” The lyrical content and writing are fantastic, which is not a surprise coming from someone who moved halfway across the world to hone her writing skills. A little bit serious, joke-y, flirty, edge-y, Souterrain songs really run the gamut of emotions. The group is embarking on a six-week tour of Ireland in late July, so be sure to catch them in Sacramento on July 20, 2012 at Bows and Arrows (1815 19th Street) or in Davis on July 21 at a basement show at the Owl House (516 E. 8th Street). Pick up a copy of What Ails You, and you’ll be glad you did. Learn more about the band and hear some tunes at http://www.facebook.com/thesouterrain.

-J.Carabba