All Points
Folk Rock, 2018
Novo Amor, which is Ali Lacy’s rather pretentious alter ego, may be all about folk rock, but Birthplace, his debut album, has a strong new age vibe to it. Perhaps unsurprisingly so, as this one is dedicated to telling people to go do their part to save the oceans, blah blah blah.
Mind you, I don’t see any indication that purchases of this CD will see some non-profit getting some money, and I also scratch my head at the fact that this CD is available in vinyl that comes complete with cardboard packaging. Sure, the vinyl and the cardboard are said to be environmentally friendly, but it’s still consumption and potential wastage of resources for frivolous reasons when an alternative option – just download the thing, skip the plastic and cardboard that came with the physical version – is available. Hmm, I’d think this fellow will go all the way if he were so passionate about the environment and all.
At any rate, this one falls onto my radar when I first discover the title track and the gorgeous accompanying music video. The soothing vocals, the gorgeous nerve-balm of the instrumentation that has me feeling like I were meditating under water, and everything was tranquil… “I must hear more!” is my immediate reaction.
It’s nice that the entire album has this lovely, calming vibe in all the songs. It’s easy to imagine that the vocals are produced underwater, like how dolphins sing, which sounds terrible on paper, I know, but the result is pretty luscious to the eardrum.
It’s not so nice that this similar vibe also results in all the songs sounding the same, with minor variations here and there, to the point that I feel like I’m listening to an extended super-long version of a same song. The vocals are the same, the feel is the same, and… sigh. Sure, there are some lovely moments here aside from the title track, such as Seneca and Anniversary, but everything comes together and merge, like those alien creatures in Slither, into a single, same song basically.
In the end, I do like Birthplace, and the lovely ambiance that comes with the whole thing, but I can only take it in small doses before I find myself pleasantly nodding off.
