If you are wondering around the pop up stages on the Sunday
of the Country 2 Country Festival at the O2 Arena, an essential look in should
be Alice Wallace. The name may be new to many folks in the UK, but the sound
will be familiar to those constantly seeking out the soul of country music. MEMORIES,
MUSIC AND PRIDE is the third album release by the Southern California-based Alice
and had its US debut at the back end of last year. Upon a solitary listen, this
eleven track collection immediately grabbed the attention and invited many
repeat plays. This was absolutely inevitable considering the music has the
agenda of honesty, integrity and true to the desires of the soul. It is a
record sharing the vision of travel broadening the mind and pinpoints an artist
with impeccable taste.
California country music has often ploughed down its own
path, dating back to the Bakersfield Sound and the 60s/70s pioneering infusion
of rock and folk. Alice is not shy on factoring in external style influences
into her music and walks the fine line of being progressive without bowing to
popular trend. Like a good ole solid country song, Alice’s compositions explore
a wide range of personal emotions wrapped in an explicit coating of stark
authenticity. A voice soaked in the dulcet tones of everyday Americana breathes
life into each story and an ear pleasing soundtrack is on hand to add much more
than the gloss of the tunes.
The album’s title sums up Alice’s mood from spending so much
time taking her music on the road. It appears as a line in ‘Luck, Texas’, just one of those quirky small town names as well as
hosting a honky tonk where Alice played whilst on tour. This track is equally
as memorable for its midway tempo switch and is just one of many notable
highlights of the band playing an important part. ‘Poor Cleopatra’ sits one track earlier on the running order and
displays Alice’s skill of weaving a story into an observation picked up from
travelling. This piece also contains some classy pedal steel which sets the
sound tone for a majority of the record. Jeremy Long is the said musician and
also excels on organ, keys, accordion and dobro. Instrumentally the album kicks off with a
varied sound as Alice’s vocals roar in gear on the ballsy and sassy ‘I Just Don’t Care Anymore’. From this
start we know she ‘ain’t taking no crap’ and the rest of the album portrays
Alice as a performer in total control, while flourishing incessantly on all the
attributes that make this a top record.
Two other singers-songwriters came to mind when listening to
Alice for the first time. Allison Moorer was heard on the emotive ‘Perfectly Painful Life’, complete with a
soulful backing sound, while immediately the vocal sound drew comparisons with
UK artist Danni Nicholls. Alice herself throws more names into the mix when
referring to influences in her online bio. These unsurprisingly include modern day country influenced artists finding refuge under the Americana banner
and iconic traditionalists who will always retain the true spirit of country
music. By tribute, Alice covers the 30s Patsy Montana standard ‘I Want to be a Cowboy's Sweetheart’ and
her version sits comfortably with the many others, complete with yodelling.
We are now at the centre point of the album and the second
half continues to arouse your interest with great song writing alongside the
stylish musical offering. ‘A Traveling
Song’ is the album’s pivotal track with its biographical stance
incorporating truth, positivity and plain speaking inspiration. It emerges as
the complete ballad, bottling up the true essence of making your living in this
unconventional way. Alice’s song writing peaks in this song with the immortal
line ‘The only true thing we have in this life is a chance to wake up in the
new morning light’. Of course this life can have its downside and the pain,
bitterness, imperfection and lost love is fertile ground for songwriters. ‘Rough Around the Edges’ moves into this territory
and ‘Ohio Boy’ gets deep down into
the psyche of the travelling singer-songwriter.
We have mentioned the potpourri of genre input energising
this album and ‘Grateful’ see Alice
firing in full folk mode. ‘Leave’ is
the album’s sole original co-write and represents the smooth side to a record
which will have little difficulty in appealing to a wide range of listeners
prepared to chance their arm on an artist they aren’t familiar with. ‘If I Didn’t Win’ concludes the track
listing and the clear winners are Alice Wallace for making such a great record
and the adventurous music seekers who find her.
MEMORIES, MUSIC AND PRIDE is an album for the tuned in and
turned on. It’s packed with enlightenment and inhibitions are certainly down.
The memories are vivid, the music is pinpointed and the pride is immense. Alice
Wallace is an artist worthy of your consideration and the architect of an album
poised for widespread appeal. Her inaugural UK trip in March should be the
start of something big if the gods of justice are looking on.
www.alicewallacemusic.com
