Rhode Island-based pop-rock duo Chalumeau confronts the depths of grief with profound vulnerability on “Blue,” the deeply personal title track from their upcoming debut album of the same name, set for release August 7.
Rooted in delicate piano arpeggios and long-breathed melodic phrases, the ballad strikes a markedly different tone from the harder-edged singles the Brown University professors Katherine Bergeron and Butch Rovan have previously released. The addition of plaintive cello from collaborator Ulrich Maiss elevates the track’s emotional weight, creating a sonic landscape that mirrors the “anatomy of loss” the song explores—moving deliberately from observation to sensation to complete emotional immersion.
Speaking of the deeply personal offering, Bergeron explains the track’s genesis: “Before we had written a note, I knew that our album would be called Blue. Then one day, while doing something else, a couplet arrived: ‘Blue was my mother’s favorite color/I never thought it would be mine.’ A whole narrative in two lines.” The song, finished during a period of compounded personal loss following her mother’s death, serves as the emotional center of gravity for the entire album.
Following seven compelling singles that have showcased Chalumeau‘s genre-fluid approach—from Afro-Latin rhythms to hard-hitting rock—this latest ballad reveals the duo’s most vulnerable side. With its accompanying video featuring oceanic imagery and faded photographs, “Blue” sets the stage for what promises to be their most ambitious work yet, culminating in a full nine-piece live celebration of the album’s August release.
