Alyse Black

Alyse Black
Hold Onto This 

Alyse Black’s album title is apropos. The conviction in her voice resembles the wave of jazzy female singers like Amy Winehouse, Adele, or Duffy. Like Adele, Black doesn’t overcompensate – she just elegantly sings without gimmick. The control of her vocals is tight, tidy, and on point, much like classically trained Regina Spektor. The twelve tracks neatly make up nearly an unforgettable hour that mixes jazz, pop and soul.

The album opens with pulsating drumbeats, gentle guitar and sultry vocals and the innocent lyrics of ‘Strange (Used Me Up)’ begin with “So these socks have holes/Now you’ve worn them through/Well, scout’s honor I gave my all to you.” Black’s purity is quickly contrasted in ‘Both Ways (Dream of You),’ chiming out a catchy ballad with contentious lyrics about juggling two potential lovers, “I’m pretending that I’m going to sleep/Even though I just won’t massage you back/I’m trying hard to play the part of good girl/…’cause I just want to have it both ways/I want to have him and I want to have you too.” Its use of banjo is a great choice, deftly accompanying the tempo of the song.

Songs offer different blends of instruments and themes, keeping the album exciting and continually moving. ‘Wild Child’ is a bouncy pop-rock song. Between the clapping of hands, piano and vocals it is an energetic mix, think of the playfulness of Feist, soulfulness of Sara Bareillies and conviction of Heart. The final song, ‘Hold onto This’ ties the whole album together perfectly, giving little doubt to the album’s title. Black brings it together with simple phrasing like “rainbows and soliloquies,” mirroring the album as a whole, from a wide variety colorful songs to soliloquies where Black maintains both sound and structural charm. Black’s voice has warm and coarse timbre that easily soars above the texture. And although Black is comparable to other female artists, she clearly has her own uniqueness and likeability.

Jeff Hinshaw
Bootleg Magazine
Wilmington, NC