SoundSpike Song of the Day: "Little Island" by Meghan La Roque

SoundSpike's Song of the Day for Friday (12/17) is "Little Island" from singer/songwriter Meghan La Roque's debut LP, 2010's "Carry Me Home," produced by Jimmy Parr (Carly Simon).

Some people slink back home to hide after hitting the wall in the big city, but for Meghan La Roque that was merely fuel for a massive creative outpouring. After a brutal seven-year stint in the Southern California music scene, La Roque returned to her roots in Martha's Vineyard, MA, to mine the reflections of her nightly L.A. "therapy" walks and craft her first full-length. "Each song became a different part of the small town we call L.A. -- a map of self-discovery," La Roque said, in a press release.

La Roque has a whiskey-edged voice that catches somewhere between a whisper and an ache. She makes no attempt to hide her intimate relationship with the sharper moments of life, and her confessional lyrics give a rawness to what otherwise would be categorized as folky pop. "Little Island" was written when La Roque was "defeated, broken": "It came to me in the silence I had sought for so long. The silence that carried me here ... no more buzz. I was awake."

Besides La Roque on vocals and guitar, the album also features David Saw on lead guitar, Larry Ciancia (Fiona Apple, Ray LaMontagne) on drums, Jill Zadeh (Maroon 5, Joss Stone) on backing vocals, Parr on pretty much everything and a cornucopia of local artists.

"Carry Me Home" is available as a digital download for $9.99 at iTunes and on Amazon for $8.99. For more information on La Roque, visit her website. And for a longer visit with the singer/songwriter, check out the "Carry Me Home" promo video, embedded below.

Meghan La Roque - Carry Me Home EPK from Meghan La Roque on Vimeo.