alone-a - a veil, a prism

 Released: April 3

This latest album from alone-a caught me within the very first few seconds as it opens up with “The Door.” The first couple of seconds open up with some light and harmonious trilling pads, giving the impression that we’re getting a very ambient album. But then the vocals drop in and its becomes just a moment of pure bliss. A gentle female voice comes in with the question “where are you going” through an incredible stack of effects, making her sound like some kind of robotic angelic figure singing to us. This first track sets up the rest of the album perfectly, even as it deviates from blissful harmonies to more experimental and clunky sounds. 

These more experimental track start to show themselves early but “Six Cups” is the track that really sends us into the delightfully weird rather than smooth. The lyrics are quite simple with a repetition of pieces of a single sentence while the pads feel slightly off kilter and are joined by a particularly disjointed drum beat that clatters softly in the background. This tracks stands out when it appears because it is the first to really lean into letting the tension between compositional elements sit without resolution. There’s still the harmonious aspect of the vocals but the accompanying elements make it feel ever so slightly uncomfortable while the voice remains soft and melodic, making the lack of resolution feel beautiful and poetic. 

By the end of the album, we have returned that rich harmonized vibe that the album opened up with. “Only Day” feels like a perfect send off for the album since it takes that same beginning vibe and makes it feel happier and more celebratory while remaining modest and subdued. Lyrically, it also calls back to some of the early lines of the first track, making for a perception that we’ve gone in a lovely and luscious circle thematically.