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MUSIC CONNECTION MAGAZINE: Alfa - Top 25 New Music Critiques of 2012
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You can picture the artist singing her uplifting, melodic "Supergirl" into a mirror, boosting her se...You can picture the artist singing her uplifting, melodic "Supergirl" into a mirror, boosting her self-confidence with each crafty chord change. The clean, uncluttered arrangement of this breezy, engaging song allows Alfa's vocal warmth to carry the day.
"Love as Tragedy: 3 Acts" is a pop-rocker with an ascending/descending melody as Alfa takes her ex to task for his pessimism. A poignant character study emerges to a waltz cadence in the French accordion flavored, "Isabelle." Fans of Ingrid Michaelson and Sara Bareilles will savor this artist.
- Music Connection
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VOICE COUNCIL MAGAZINE: Alfa: On the Road & Getting "Liked"
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Singer-songwriter Alfa Garcia on building a fanbase
She’s in the midst of a grueling college campus...Singer-songwriter Alfa Garcia on building a fanbase
She’s in the midst of a grueling college campus tour – but she loves it.
After being a journalist covering other artists, Alfa Garcia decided to go full time with her guitar and distinctive voice.
Now Alfa’s building a fanbase – and we asked her to share how she’s doing this with our VoiceCouncil community.
Were you getting depressed reporting on the art of other people?
I don’t know if depressed is the word; more like “restless.” If anything, being a journalist helped make me feel certain about what I already knew, which was that I wanted to be out there pursuing my music.
When you first went “full time”, what was your strategy in terms of building – and maintaining – a fan base?
When I went full time, I found that I could dedicate more time to all of it – the promotion, the live shows, and the online stuff. It’s both quality and quantity when you go full-time – you get more time to work on music, and your output is a little more substantial just because you’re dedicating more time to it
How has that strategy changed over time – what are you doing differently now?
I think the social media aspect is so huge now, and it’s something you constantly have to keep up on. You have to be on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube…you have to have a good-looking mailing list…whereas when I first start playing music, this may not have mattered as much.
What do you mean by “good looking mailing list”?
In the past, I would have sent a basic e-mail to everyone on my mailing list, these days it helps to have an email with graphics, or a more involved layout that makes it a little more pleasing to the eye. An example are e-mails sent through Fanbridge.
How do you make college gigs work for you in terms of retaining those fans after the gig?
A lot of those students are on Facebook, and that’s really become the most direct way to stay in touch. Some of them become personal Facebook friends too, not just fans on my music page.
What do you do at the gigs to get and keep those fans?
Just be positive and friendly, relate to the students. I remember when I was their age, so I try to talk to them about what they might be going through in school or in their personal lives.
At a concert, what do you do to actually get those FB likes?
Usually I’ll tell people that I’m often updating on FB, and if they’d like to stay updated, they should follow the page. I think this is also a good opportunity for giveaways and stuff like that, though I haven’t done it yet.
Your Facebook page isn’t looking too shabby – what wisdom would you pass onto other singers about building their facebook pages?
Thank you for saying so. Just try to keep the Facebook page engaging for everyone. And also, I have been bad at this of late, but try not to over-post.
You’ve been active on Twitter – what are you learning about that medium?
Twitter is interesting, but I don’t love it. I am not a fan of the sound byte, and that’s really what it is the equivalent of. But you know, it’s part of the game, so I bite.
What can Twitter do for you?
I’ve found that Twitter isn’t the best way to promote a show, but it is a good way to present an arc of your life story in multiple, short posts…and if there’s something funny or quirky that happens to me and I want to share it with anyone who’ll listen/read, it’s great for that.
You describe yourself as a “road warrior” – how do you make life on the road work for you?
Oh man, I am still figuring this out! I am admittedly terrible with eating regularly when I’m on the road. I have started calling it the “tour diet,” when I shed 2 or 3 pounds by the time I come home just from bad eating habits.
What’s working for you with life on the road?
I have figured some things out – getting a TON of sleep is key. It makes such a huge difference in your performance, your mentality when you face each day, and with facing the challenges that you inevitably run into.
Alfa Garcia is a folk-pop singer & songwriter; her album “World Go Blue” is climbing up national charts, including the CMJ Top 200 National Airplay Charts (#135) and College Radio Charts (#77 unweighted). In 2012, Music Connection Magazine placed Alfa in their Top 25 Music Critiques, noting, “fans of Ingrid Michaelson and Sara Bareilles will savor this artist.”
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UKE CAN PLAY!: Alfa - Simply Charming!
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Every once in a while, this blog brings me in touch with some amazing artists I might never have had...Every once in a while, this blog brings me in touch with some amazing artists I might never have had the chance to discover. The internet is a noisy place, and too many times we realize late in the game that our “new” favorites have been around for a quite a while.
Such was the case when I “discovered” Alfa – the beautiful, soulful and exceedingly charming singer-songwriter whose song and video for Blue left me slack-jawed and wanting more!
I was lucky enough to contact her personally and she kindly agreed to grant me this interview.
Blogging has its perks!
Make sure to give this interview some social love to read the entire piece and access the videos and additional images.
BeatNik: When did you start playing ukulele?
Alfa: I taught myself ukulele in 2010, I believe. I was just curious about it, and thought it was a really cute instrument…not to mention, a little easier to carry around than my guitar or keyboard.
That is a beautiful instrument! Tell us a little about your Mya-Moe?
Thank you! I love my Mya-Moe…it goes by its other name: “the uke of destiny.” J It’s a tenor uke, with master grade koa on the entire body, mahogany neck, ebony fretboard with an abalone rosette. It has a direct pickup, which was a must for me…and a cutaway, so I can do some crazy high-register solos when I finally learn how.
Apart from the uke, I see you play guitar and a mean kazoo! What other instruments do you play?
I also play piano and violin.
You’ve recently moved to Los Angeles from New York, but you are originally from the Philippines, correct? Tell us a little about how you got where you are today.
Yes, I was born in southern Philippines, on the island of Mindanao. I started learning piano shortly after emigrating to New York and hated it at first. A lot of people in my family play music, so I didn’t think music was anything special and wanted to do something entirely different. Like dentistry (seriously, I wanted to be a dentist when I was 5). I got into the violin in 4th grade and absolutely fell in love. I played in some orchestras and got to tour a little as a kid, which was really fun for me. I started songwriting when I was 13, because I was going through a bit of an angst-ridden teenage phase and connected with a lot of music that I wanted to play. Eventually, though, I realized I couldn’t sing a lot of those songs I liked so I figured I’d make up my own songs instead! So, I started songwriting and eventually got up the courage to record, and eventually got up even more courage to play in front of people, and pretty soon it was pretty obvious what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. At least, it was obvious to everyone else…it took me a little longer to really figure it out. After graduating college, I decided to record my first full-length album, so I did that while I was working a full-time job as a journalist. I left that job 3 years later, moved to LA, and haven’t looked back since.
Where can my readers go to see you perform live?
It really depends on my schedule… you can always see where I’m playing on my website, alfa-music.com.
Would you consider performing at some ukulele music festivals?
Of course! I’d love to play a uke festival. Although I’m sure I’d be in awe of everyone there… I still consider myself a ukulele noob.
(BeatNik: You heard it here first, folks! Who will start the festival invitations?)
How many songs on the new album feature the uke, and can we expect to hear more like “Blue” in the future?
It’s just “Blue” with the uke, and if you can believe it, it’s the first song I ever wrote on uke. Prior to that, I’d just been playing covers and adding them to my live shows to mix things up a bit. I was really happy that “Blue” came out of my uke. It took about 15 minutes to finish it.
I heard you do a fantastic cover of Train’s “Hey, Soul Sister” in your concerts. What artists inspire your music?
Plenty… Sara B, Ingrid Michaelson, Regina Spektor, Fiona Apple, early Jewel stuff, Fiona Apple, Shawn Colvin, Joni Mitchell, Carol King, Camille… I feel like a big sponge that just kind of soaks in whatever I’m listening to.
A lot of my readers are also aspiring musicians. What insights or advice would you like to pass along to them?
I remember sitting on an airplane and reading this quote from the in-flight magazine, “Do what you love; love what you do, and share your gifts with others.” Apparently Gustavo Dudamel said that… he’s a smart guy.
Thank you Alfa, you have been simply charming!
For those of you who are now entranced by Alfa, I offer some more images and her sensational video, Blue.
Enjoy!
-BeatNik
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HOT INDIE NEWS (Feature): Alfa - "World Go Blue"
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By Ralph White
It’s a brave new world out there. The first time I heard about Alfa was through ou...By Ralph White
It’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.
“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.
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WWS MAGAZINE: Exclusive Interview with Alfa! World Go Blue, New Album & The Upcoming Sensation
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Exclusive Interview with Alfa! World Go Blue, New Album & The Upcoming Sensation
Add equal pa...Exclusive Interview with Alfa! World Go Blue, New Album & The Upcoming Sensation
Add equal parts unique vocals and disarming lyrics, throw in a dash of irresistible melodies, then stir in some Jersey-style girl-next-door sensibility and you’ll get ALFA: a musical concoction that is comparable to “a clear blue sky and a candid soul” (Indie Music Reviewer). Other listeners clearly agree: Alfa’s album “World Go Blue” is climbing up national charts, including the CMJ Top 200 National Airplay Charts (#135) and College Radio Charts (#77 unweighted). In 2012, Music Connection Magazine placed Alfa in their Top 25 Music Critiques, noting, “fans of Ingrid Michaelson and Sara Bareilles will savor this artist.”
Recorded in Nashville and L.A., “World Go Blue” is a melody-driven collection of autobiographical songs inspired by Alfa’s move to L.A. in 2011. The album has been praised for its lyrical depth and vocal delivery, with most reviewers at a loss for comparisons to Alfa’s multi-faceted style. The songs from this Kickstarter-funded project navigate complex but universal themes, from lost innocence to the restlessness of being a 20-something, and the hope that exists despite life’s ebb and flow. Alfa is currently on tour to promote “World Go Blue”.
WWSMAG: How is it just coming up in the music industry?
A: It definitely feels good to have a decent push behind my latest release. I feel very blessed to be getting positive feedback and a lot of people supporting me. At the same time, this has been a work in progress for a long time. I’ve been writing songs since I was 13, and recording my own music since I was 15. So, even if it may seem like I’m “just coming up” to a lot of people, to me, it feels like this is part of a long and exciting journey.
You had a big iTunes release, has much success come after that?
So far, so good. It wasn’t just an iTunes release, “World Go Blue” is also available on all major online retailers as well as Bandcamp (physical copies are available). I can definitely say that this album is the proudest I’ve been of my work, and I’ve gotten a very positive reaction to this album. As an artist, there’s a sense of relief that comes from that. Right now, we’re just promoting with radio and press, and I’ve been doing a college tour to support. Everything’s been pretty great so far.
How do you feel as an Asian in this American music industry?
That’s a pretty loaded question, and I’ve been asked this question a lot (I’d imagine you have too!). I think as far as being Asian-American and mainstream in America, the present is a great time for us. We still have a long way to go as far as getting into the “mainstream,” but I think the tides are currently changing. But with that being said, I don’t write music with my ethnicity as the first thing in mind. My music is very personal: I write about what I know, what I observe, feel, or imagine; and if my being Asian affects that, then it’s in there mixed in with everything else in my life that informs my art, much like any other artist of any ethnicity. In the end, I hope I would be judged by my work, and not the color of my skin.
Do you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
My biggest advice to anyone who is starting out, and is serious about pursuing music, is to be persistent. That means a lot of things. It means, be willing to put hard work in; don’t take no for an answer; and don’t believe in shortcuts.
If you had a choice, would you stay independent, or sign to a major label?
I think that’s a bridge I would cross when I got there. A lot of people slam major labels, but it really comes down to what kind of deal is being offered. The same goes for a small label, or really any kind of deal that you’re offered that relates to your music. It’s based on the circumstance, and it probably would be wise to stay open-minded.
What did you do before coming up in music?
I have been doing music pretty much my whole life, I just never thought I would pursue it as a career until after I graduated from college. My whole family does music, so it was normal for us to play music around the house. I still have memories of tinkering around at the piano with my sister when I was little kid in the Philippines, while my grandparents, aunts, mom and dad jammed along on their instruments. My grandfather, who partially raised me along with my mom and grandmother, is a pastor, so I grew up in church and started getting my earliest taste of music there. When we immigrated to New York, he started another church, and that’s where I really got a chance to explore music, and learn how to play and sing with other people. I started on piano when I was 5, and then took up violin when I was 8. I joined an orchestra for about 7 years, but eventually taught myself guitar and started writing songs when I was 13. When I got to college, my mom had advised me not to study music, so I studied International Relations instead… but my little “master plan” was to get into NYU so I could start gigging in downtown NYC. That’s exactly what I did, and by the time I graduated I decided I wanted to pursue music. At that point, I had no money (college is expensive!) so I took on a job as a journalist for a newspaper in New Jersey while paying off my first full-length album, “Second Skin.” After a few years there, I left my job and the East Coast and decided to make music a full-time thing here in L.A.
Whose career do you look at, and want to model yours after?
There isn’t one person that I look up to, per se. I do admire certain female artists that I grew up listening to, or being aware of. For example, there’s Gwen Stefani, who pretty much embodies uniqueness, staying power, and powerful femininity. And then there’s Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson, who I admire musically, and think are artists with a solid head on their shoulders. In general, I think the best careers are the ones that have a long shelf-life. I’d pick a steady-growth career over one that explodes and fizzles out just as quickly.
Who are your inspirations?
My biggest inspiration is my family. I’m definitely a family-oriented person, and I get a lot of strength from the love and support they’ve given me over the years. Musically, I had been inspired in my earlier years by Jewel and Fiona Apple. These days, I look up to what singers like Sara B., Regina Spektor, and Norah Jones do. They’re just very creative, timeless and honest with their music.
Who do you play on your iPod right now?
I actually don’t listen to my iPod anymore these days. I’m on Pandora a lot, or listening to CD’s. I’m currently enjoying the new albums by Muse and fun., and on my Pandora I’ve got a few different stations going … Nickel Creek, Erin McCarley, and Mumford & Sons are just a few.
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MUSIC EMISSIONS: "World Go Blue" (10 out of 10)
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Why havent I heard about this musician before? According to her web site (www.alfa-music.com) Worl...Why havent I heard about this musician before? According to her web site (www.alfa-music.com) World Go Blue is her 5th release and this is the 1st time Ive been given a go to check her out. From what Ive heard and seen so far (just watch this music video: http://youtu.be/zg8C46e2uHU) apparently Ive missed quite a lot. So, now given this opportunity, I plan to make up for lost time and do my best, as well as you should too, to enjoy all things Alfa.
World Go Blue offers 8 songs that are so intimate I felt as if Id stumbled upon a young girls private diary. Every track is like a page of that diary where she ponders love, rejection, happiness, regret, self-discovery, remorse, satisfaction and yearning. Each entry, while written solely for the writer, speaks to the listener in a universal language that I can only describe as unvarnished honesty. Her words ring true and without affectation.
But this is far better than a diary because Alfa uses music the way a painter uses color. Her melodies are like subtle hues employed to add depth and dimension. She utilizes her voice to aptly apply unique and beautiful brushstrokes to her audio canvas. The way an artist carefully chooses perspective and detail is the way Alfa presents her well chosen arrangements and instrumentation. Nothing is left to chance on World Go Blue , but at the same time nothing seems contrived. Alfa makes it all seem to appear so effortless and easy.
Im hard pressed to settle on a favorite song from this album. Each time I listen to it brand new nuances emerge. Playing the entire collection from beginning to end takes little more than 30 minutes and none of the tunes therein make me want to hit the >>l button on my iPod. On a scale of 1-10, Id say that World Go Blue is the perfect 10.
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UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA: "World Go Blue" Review
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Artist: ALFA
Non-Airable Tracks: None
Label: Unsigned
Alfa Garcia and her Album "World Go...Artist: ALFA
Non-Airable Tracks: None
Label: Unsigned
Alfa Garcia and her Album "World Go Blue," truly capture the instrumental uniqueness, strong vocals, and her passion in each track. Every track transitions smoothly and beautifully compliments into stronger vocals proceeding with peaceful guitars or ukuleles. This album is an overall success for ALFA, and New Jersey shall be proud to have her as their own. My favorite track being "Blue" with the unique accent of ukuleles and her crisp sweet vocals compliment each other perfectly. It makes me want to jump in my car and take a road trip to the beach. This Album is nothing but good vibes and great music; I suggest everyone take a listen.
Sounds Like: Kate Nash, Regina Spector
Recommended Tracks:
#1- War: Slower with a pop melody and folk vocals 4/5
#2- Blue: Island tone, Ukuleles percussion, and just good vibes 5/5
Name: Alexandra Adamson
Date Reviewed: 04/11/2013
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INDIE MUSIC REVIEWER: "War!" Song Review
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War is a heavy title to deal with. So much has been written and so much has been attached to the mea...War is a heavy title to deal with. So much has been written and so much has been attached to the meaning of the word. What happens here is that you hit play on this Bandcamp player and get stolen from the world around you and thrown into a feeling you’ve experienced before but couldn’t put your finger on; the war that develops within ourselves against an imaginary wrongness. Is a telephone that doesn’t get us through enough to create such thoughts? Yes, it happens every day.
Then we have to go out for a walk and let it all go by, just like it happens in one of those good “west coast” movies.
Well, talking of west coast movies, Alfa has that freshness that blends the clear blue sky and a candid soul, there is something so appealing about her voice that makes you want to get more, something that makes you want to see what else she has to say. The production of this song is totally current and the choice of instrumentation fits Alfa’s tone like a glove fits a beautiful hand that’s ready to give! A great “sit-on-the-shore-and-think-about-it-while-the-sun-is-slowly-moving-towards-the-horizon” song that will make a lot of people out there feel better for 3 minutes. And maybe will even get people to call back!
If War is what the album sounds like this is a "buy it" for me!
4.75/5
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ASIAN JOURNAL: Kollaboration: Empowering Asian-American Pacific Islanders
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....classically trained pianist, violinist, and guitar- ist, Alfa, has been writing her own songs fo.......classically trained pianist, violinist, and guitar- ist, Alfa, has been writing her own songs for a long time. Her first full-length record, “Second Skin”, was received well by the Asian American community in New York. This petite music genius has also performed all across the US, Toronto, Swit- zerland, and the Philippines...
- Elgin Zulueta
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INCOGNITO MAGAZINE : "World Go Blue" Review
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Alfa is an artist I discovered randomly on Bandcamp one day. Admittedly, this is pretty poppy and it...Alfa is an artist I discovered randomly on Bandcamp one day. Admittedly, this is pretty poppy and it's not the sort of thing I normally write about in these pages. The reason I'm writing about her is simple. I was drawn in by Alfa's voice. What can I say? I am an all-day sucker for sweet-voiced female vocalists. The thing that's really interesting about this singer is that it is hard to pin down who she sounds like. At times, she reminds me of Norah Jones ("War!" "First Sight of Land"). She has that same jazzy sort of delivery. At other times, she reminds me of Harriet from The Sundays or Leigh from Sixpence None the Richer ("Blue"). Leaving comparisons aside, Alfa has the kind of voice that makes you want to hear her sing everything including phone conversations and orders for French fries. This is an album of eight songs that are catchy and sweet. Alfa shows that she is not only a good singer but also an accomplished musician. If you're like me and love sweet-voiced singers, check out World Go Blue!
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NEWARK EXAMINER: Alfa's Second Skin yields brilliance and maturity
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NEW YORK– Artists have phases in their careers. The not so great ones have downhill phases, while gr...NEW YORK– Artists have phases in their careers. The not so great ones have downhill phases, while great ones have phases pointing them towards perfection. In Alfa's sophomore album entitled Second Skin, we see her in a new phase, which reveals her in her most brilliant form yet– a testament to the fact that she is currently the best female singer-songwriter in the New York and New Jersey Asian-American music scene. Second Skin is such a well-written record that it is a challenge to anyone who listens to it to even describe it as an OK record because It is not just an OK record, it is a magnificent record. It is Alfa at the top of her game. The opening track Supergirl is rich with musical ideas because for the first time, we hear Alfa's music fully accompanied, unlike her first record, which was mostly accompanied by her acoustic guitar. Alfa's producer, Alex Houton played most of instruments in this album. Alfa chose to use the piano to a large degree here, which perfectly matches the nice tongue-and-cheek beat. Supergirl is a great album opener because it ushers the listener to Alfa's new phase as if she is saying '" told you it will be different." Well, different but great. Another great track is the second song Love as Tragedy: A Play in Three Acts, which displays Alfa's lyrical gifts and knack at crafting sweet pop music. It has a solid driving rhythm that brings a great groove. All the 11 tracks in Second Skin are great. The skip button will have no use for this record. Consider the track Isabelle. It is track number five in the album. The song is a French-styled ditty with Alfa actually singing verses in French. It is lushly decorated with an accordion and violin, which was played by Jorge Miranda. It is nothing short of magnificent for it is so different from the rest of the songs in the collection , yet the listener will have no doubt that it is still Alfa's song. Though extremely musically detached from the other 10 songs, it is not a "what was she thinking" moment. It fits perfectly in the album. All songs were written by the Bergenfield , NJ artist except for the songs Wear Your Shoes, and I wont, which she co-wrote with Mr. Houton The last song , Home to Me, which was recorded live with just Alfa playing the piano is a perfect album closer. It was a great decision to have her accompanied by only the piano for it totally captured the song's sentimentality and rewarded the listener with honest to goodness tenderness. If one thing is evident in this record, it is that Alfa has truly matured. She now understands the power of the chorus. In pop music, a song without a chorus is a song wasted. And Alfa provided the best choruses yet in her young career. So catchy are these choruses that the listener still sings them even after the tracks have ended and the the player has started playing the next track, which inevitably contains yet another catchy chorus. Second Skin is Alfa's second offering, but really, it is the beginning of her stellar career.
supersonic
