(2013 Bella Union)
The
Still Life
is the third album by singer-songwriter Alessi Laurent-Marke who
performs under the name Alessi's Ark. The twenty-two
year old's latest album, and second for her label Bella Union, sees
her offer a collection of short and sharp folk-pop tunes delivered
with a straight-forward honesty that difficult to dislike. Produced
by frequent Bright Eyes and Azure Ray collaborator Andy LeMaster,
elements of these acts shine through in Alessi's music, though she
never reaches for the introspection of either, she takes on their
personal approach, and like those acts she invites you into her own
particular world.
The
strength of her song writing comes through on tracks like Afraid
of Everyone that doesn't rely on a standard verse chorus
structure. The track moves away from her folk sound, beginning with a
sparse intro with a lonely bass before Alessi’s
voice is joined by a driven drum beat as the track grows along with
the paranoia presented in her lyrics into one of the standout moments
on the album. Other highlights include Veins Are Blue, which
features arrangements filtered through reverb and delay that bring to
mind the sounds of Hope Sandoval, and The Rain, which sees her
continue to veer into dream pop territory with its drifting backing
vocals.
Another
track, Money, shows her upbeat earnestness that centers many
of the songs here. It ends with the playful refrain, “You are rich
with my love” where her simplistic message is delivered with a
direct sincerity. Though this approach falls short on Big Dipper,
ending with the clunky line ‘my fists are clenched/I long to sit
with you on a garden bench’ which calls for a more personal and
intimate expression.
The
album doesn't stay in one place for very long, with most of the songs
coming in at less than three minutes, and she displays a creative
variety of instruments that accompany her voice and acoustic guitar.
Beyond a few missteps, Alessi shows herself to be a talented musician
and her pop hooks and creative arrangements could easily see her
already prolific output gaining a larger audience in the future.
Originally posted on Figure8magazine.co.uk
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