Montreal-based power-rock trio Les Shirley are turning up the volume with their third full-length album, Hail Mary, a bold and unapologetic record that sees the band embracing their most confident and outspoken side yet.
The album arrives alongside an official music video for its title track, giving listeners a visual introduction to one of the record’s most direct and confrontational songs.
Featuring Raphaëlle Chouinard, Lisandre Bourdages and Sarah Dion, Les Shirley have spent years developing their sound through writing, recording and extensive touring. With Hail Mary, the trio say they have reached a point where the sound they have been searching for has finally come together.
Formed in 2018, the Quebec band have taken their music far beyond Canada, completing six European tours and sharing stages with major rock acts including Foo Fighters, Jimmy Eat World, Weezer, Green Day, The Offspring, NOFX, The Beaches and Avril Lavigne.
That live experience is a major part of what makes Hail Mary work. The record comes packed with big guitars, energetic drums, catchy melodies and the kind of hooks that feel built for a packed room singing along.
But beneath the rock-and-roll energy, Les Shirley have plenty to say.
Across the album, the band explores relationships, gender, identity and the experiences that come with navigating the world as women and members of the LGBTQ+ community. The songwriting moves between personal experiences and wider social observations, with moments of anger and vulnerability sitting comfortably alongside humour and self-awareness.
The title track, “Hail Mary,” puts much of that attitude front and centre. The song aims patriarchy, inequality and entitlement, using an irreverent approach to challenge expectations placed on women while maintaining the band’s playful sense of personality.
Elsewhere, the previously released “Not My Problem” focuses on toxic relationships and the decision to stop carrying somebody else’s emotional baggage. “PLAYER2” turns inward, examining self-sabotage and the possibility that we can sometimes become our own biggest obstacle.
“Bad News” expands the perspective once again, reflecting the exhaustion that can come from constantly confronting troubling headlines and a world where rights and social boundaries continue to be challenged.
One of the album’s more personal moments comes through “Born a Man,” which considers what life might look like without some of the fears and precautions that women are often conditioned to navigate. The song opens up questions around gender, safety and freedom, using a personal premise to explore broader differences in how people experience the same world.
Despite the weight of some of its subject matter, Hail Mary never loses sight of what makes rock music exciting. Les Shirley balance their heavier themes with pounding drums, infectious melodies and huge guitar-driven moments, creating an album that can make you think while still giving you plenty of reasons to turn the speakers up.
With Hail Mary, Les Shirley bring together the experience they’ve gained from years on the road with a clearer sense of who they are as a band. It’s loud, energetic and personal, while leaving plenty of room for the trio’s humour and personality to shine through.
