ALFA “World Go Blue”

Alfa_CD_400pxIt’s a brave new world out there. The first time I heard about Alfa was through our Hot Indie News Facebook account. One of her publicists had contacted our publication through our Facebook page about her and what caught my attention was their opening line, “Alfa is a triple threat: singer, songwriter, and road warrior.” It went on to tell about her current nationwide college tour of more than 20 shows over the next 12 weeks (you can check this out yourself at www.alfa-music.com). Imagine that, an indie artist who’s actually brave enough to step out of the studio and onto the stage to connect with an audience. You know, like musicians use to do back in the day.

A little later that day our editor sent me a message that one of Alfa’s reps had called him to get permission to send over her EPK. Whatever the rep had said had my normally placid editor excited enough to suggest (really it was more of an order) that I temporarily drop everything else I was working on and begin working on writing something about the diminutive Asian/American artist. That was on February 4th, 2013, and I had two weeks to hand in my assignment (BTW-it turns out that besides her music what had impressed our editor was Alfa had generated the funding for this project by using KickStarter.com so if any you

are not familiar with KickStarter I suggest you check them out).

So, for the following fortnight I followed Alfa on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, YouTube, Sonicbids, Bandcamp and her web site. As well, I contacted her promotion company and requested any updates about the industrious young woman, which they diligently provided on a daily basis. It was becoming increasingly clear that the singer/songwriter had assembled a dedicated team that not only pitched her product, but they pitched it with the heartfelt passion of being part of something that was about to become much bigger than the sum of its individual parts.

Later, on the evening of that same day, I sat

at my computer and opened her EPK. Being a creature of habit I first downloaded her record, “World Go Blue”, from the Dropbox link one of her promoters had provided, then sat back to listen. For the next 30 minutes or so Alfa’s music made sweet, seductive love to my song-starved ears.

The 8 tracks on “World Go Blue” were more than just your run-of-the-mill tunes. Just when I thought I could predict where the melodies, lyrics and performances were about to go Alfa teasingly toke off in another unexpected direction. She’s not afraid to step outside of the standard chord progressions to explore and experiment.

Her album opens with the economically titled track, “War!” Not the folkie protest ballad one would expect it’s more of a philosophical observation of how we let the little things in life escalate into full blown battles with others and ourselves. She sings this battle hymn like a war weary soldier who’s fought too many poorly picked fights only to realize, in the end, what was won wasn’t worth winning after all.

Alfa2“Blue”, the second selection, is a simply stated sonnet that kicks off with just a ukulele and Alfa’s voice, then by the chorus, introduces us to a cleverly casted array of instruments (including a ghostly glockenspiel). If you listen closely to her well chosen words you’ll have the answer as to where the album title came from. “Blue” is not only the designated radio single, but it’s also the first music video from this release that she made available so far. In my humble opinion, it’s one of the funniest anti-Valentine’s Day videos I’ve seen. But don’t take my word for it; watch her video for yourself that was so graciously supplied by her team and that is embedded below this article.

The third cut, “First Sight of Land” tells the tale of finally spotting that sight for sore eyes which often is so hard to find. Alfa really understands how to employ the fabled “middle eight”, or bridge, in music that allows the listener a departure point to travel away from the verses and repeated chorus sections. She slyly crafts her compositions so that the return from the bridge section is a refreshing reunion, like with old friends, to the returning verse and chorus.

“Missed Opportunity” starts out like a piano exercise that beginners are forced to perform. It even has the echoes of a metronome like percussion such as any keyboard student was forced to endure at the command of their pedantic piano teacher. Once more her lyrics lead the listener away from the obvious as Alfa ponders the fate of being the third wheel on a love triangle.

The closest that any of the tunes on “World Go Blue” could be considered as just filler is “Unwritten Rule”. It’s not bad, per say, but it just didn’t live up to the highly set bar of the preceding pieces. That being said, the momentary slack is handily drawn taut on the hauntingly beautiful “Replaced”. Who amongst us not experienced the daunting worry and despair of being the one to be left behind?

As a penultimate offering, “Cup of Coffee”, our lovely lady laments the course of failed romantic relationships. She sings of how a simple cup of coffee can give birth to a love affair that leads to brighter days and shooting stars, but in the end, only comes crashing down, just like Icarus, sadly to earth once again.

The piéce de résistance from this collection is the final piece of work, “Bergenfield, NJ”. Like a forlorn George Webber in a Thomas Wolfe novel, the singer repeatedly wonders, “Can we ever go home?” What begins as a softly sung ballad soon soars to a crescendo of celestial heights, where it sounds like even the angels have joined Alfa to sing along in the closing choruses. This is her “Bridge over Troubled Water” masterpiece moment. An aching anthem that concedes to the almost guaranteed failure of trying to return to one’s past.

So, here it is, it’s February 18th and I’m due to hand in to my editor what began as a CD review, then became an article that grew into a feature about an indie singer and her music. Perhaps he’ll mock it as nothing more than an overly long love letter, tear it to shreds and then threaten me with, “You’ll never write in this town again!” that editors use to terrorize wayward writers. Well, Mr. Editor, if you truly feel that way then I only ask that you grant me a final request before you eat me: if nothing else, please just publish the very last line of what I’ve written, because I believe it says it all in only 8 simple words. Alfa’s “World Go Blue” completely blew me away.

Alfa on the Web

www.alfa-music.com

www.facebook.com/alfamusic

twitter.com/alfa_music

alfanaut.tumblr.com

www.youtube.com/alfamusic

For more information contact one of her reps over at Mia Mind Music:

Tel. (201) 656-5458 Email: MiMiMus@aol.com Web: www.MiaMindMusic.com

 

Author: Ralph White

9 thoughts on “ALFA “World Go Blue”

  1. Thank you Hot Indie News & Mr. White for the great ALFA coverage. Please let us know if you’d like to set up an exclusive interview with her & we’ll make it happen.

    Stevie B
    Mia Mind Music

  2. I haven’t listened to her music yet, but she looks so gorgeous that I bet angels cry when they hear her voice.

Comments are closed.