Having composed and performed in the northeastern U.S. for years, Alice ‘BrightSky’ took a six-year hiatus. She has since returned, now finally issuing her debut, an album she’s deemed as “worthy enough for release.” The album’s called Box of Me, and it’s an oft-endearing blend of folk and rock, with sporadic moments of cross-genre experimentation.
A moving acoustic melody launches the track “Enter this World,” which probably has special meaning to Alice, who has only months ago given birth to a son. The song’s perspective is pretty unusual, seeing as how the speaker has yet to be born: “well I don’t know / I am just an embryo.” Makes me think of that Live song, “Lightning Crashes,” with the ‘placenta’ that falls to the floor. As for Alice’s song here, I’m a fan of her crooning around the 4:00 mark. It may not be the track’s most conspicuous moment, but it moves me the most for some reason.
“I Am”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdADRS-YndU
An intriguing acoustic guitar riff launches the track “Lover’s Fate.” As I suspected, there was some heartbreak: “I don’t understand how two different people can live inside of one man.” Makes me think of that maniac Scott Peterson, the fertilizer salesman who butchered his wife (and their embryo) on Christmas Day. Hopefully our speaker here won’t meet such a fate!
The track “I Am” brings a thicker sound. There’s some percussion here, along with a nasty bass that seems to coil around my speakers like a rattlesnake. Then at 1:45, the song abruptly changes pace, before returning back to its prior state.
“Up Up and Away” has kind of a whimsical, dreamy tone. To my ears, this track captures Alice’s voice at its best so far.
“Girl You Hold Onto” has a very youthful quality. It’s a tad wistful, perhaps, but nothing that sounds terminal.
“Hold me Down” might be the darkest piece on the album. We have mention of ‘devils’ and ‘guns’, along with the repeated utterance of “hold me down.” The lyrics read like a forensic file!
“LOvers Fate”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yd8ZVID7Y8k
But things don’t remain too morbid. The track “Dry” may not be entirely uplifting, but there’re signs of a will to live. And
“Box of Me,” the final (and title) track, establishes a tone more reflective than anything.
Get your ‘box’ of Alice at: http://alicebrightsky.bandcamp.com/
For further edification: http://alicebrightsky.com/
Ray Cavanaugh – owleyesgatsby@yahoo.com