Novo Amor

Cardiff-based indie folk multi-instrumentalist Novo Amor presents the striking and scenic “From Gold”, premiering today on Best Fit.

-The track begins with fragile intensity and skittering guitar: a small, lovely, locket-sized melody wedded to Ali Lacey’s falsetto. Over its duration, the song swells into a panoramic soundscape that engulfs the listener. Bon Iver fans, take note.

The video by Josh Bennett is composed almost entirely of close-up shots of Lacey pacing through a misty landscape, culminating in a final scene as beautiful as it is unsettling.

“From Gold” is taken from Novo Amor’s new EP Woodgate, NY out on 31 March via Brilliance Records. - The Line of Best Fit

Novo Amor & Ed Tullett team up to bring us one of the more polished songs of the year in "Faux". Generally, while Novo Amor's style tends to cling towards a light and easing feel throughout, Ed Tullett carries many of the same stylistic elements throughout his recent music, so it is only natural that the two would come together to produce music. Both based in the UK, the two met in November of 2013 and immediately found a connection, thus they spent December of 2013 writing a record that should see the light of day later this year.

For now we have the first collaborative track from the two in "Faux" to humbly keep us company. Throughout, a seemingly simplistic backing can be broken down into distinct complex parts, such as the acoustic and electronic work. Laying over top of the instrumentals we are presented with vocals that effortlessly glide along, even with the addition of sustained pitch changes at the end of certain verses. As a whole, "Faux" provides listeners with a great example of what to expect on any forthcoming material, lending itself perfectly to mellow instances throughout the day. - EARMILK

As you've probably noticed in recent months, we at The 405 are pretty big fanboys of Ásgeir's elegiac folk-pop. When someone else crops up, laying waste to brains and hearts in the same fashion, we get very interested, rubbernecking to the point we need to see a chiropractor. Ali Lacey, aka Novo Amor, is that beautiful pain in our neck at the moment. The Cardiff-based chanteur's Woodgate, NY EP (the reasoning behind the title is apparently top secret to us peons) is only the second release from Lacey, but he's already showcasing wares far beyond his wet-behind-the-ears career would insinuate.

Fans of brittle, wintry falsetto-laced folk-pop, á la Bon Iver, James Vincent McMorrow and William Fitzsimmons (as well as Ásgeir, of course), should be getting some mega butterflies at the thought of this EP. Like the aforementioned, Lacey trades in highly emotive soundscapes, infiltrated by nature's fickle eye, introspective humility and soul-obliterating traumas. Whilst achingly gorgeous to behold, Lacey does shove a wedge of finger-tremble, soggy-duct emotion into the fray.

Opening the EP is recent single 'From Gold'. It's a pretty mammoth cut - there's a pretty large Ben Howard-shaped hole in the Top 40 at the moment, and it would appear Lacey's been polishing himself, pointing his ironsights at the vacant slots. On 'From Gold', a flutter of twinkling acoustic guitars prance among slides and the gentle trot of percussion, gradually, but determinedly ramping up to a thundering payoff. Layers are a good friend of Lacey. 'Weather' is at the opposite end of his spectrum; a sensitive number, with strings, snare rattles and piano keys underpinning his shivering vox, it's a less organic, natural folk-pop, and more devastating. It's not really a ballad as such, but with every heartbreaking layer Lacey pastes on, you'll crumple.

Novo Amor - 'new love' in Spanish - is evolving in great strides, and if the current trend continues, by the time we reach his debut LP we'll be 1), quivering pools of bawling jelly and 2), witnessing a ruddy impressive singer-songwriter. What you'll hear on Woodgate, NY is astonishing noise, and while it's a grand ol' listen by itself, Lacey may want to delve deeper into what makes him stand head'n'shoulders above the pack of top-register folk-pop wistfulleers. There's the sprouting seeds of stylistic ingenuity, especially in post-country effort 'Holland', but to sustain his current greatness, the next EP (or LP) should be almost impossible to compare to those he's often likened to. The place Lacey's at now however, with this EP, is a fantastic place to be, and you'd be hard-pressed to find a smidgen to change.

Rating: 8/10 - The 405

Novo Amor delivers heart pain and one of the year's best EP's .

Novo amor's second EP Woodgate , NY is a rare commodity . So fragile that you fear the man behind the one-man band , Ali Lacey , collapsing from heart pain as he velvety whisper " for all that it's worth now , you were worth it in the end" but at the same time ; sometimes epic , powerful, and performed with steel control.

To point out the similarities between Novo Amor and the far more famous Bon Iver 's easy . There are many of those , but instead of being a clean copy fails Novo Amor to create the same excitement as Bon Iver did when Skinny Love was first released in 2007. It is personal , desperately , dreamy and filled with love that hits the heart .

It 's hard not to play on clichés when trying to put words in Woodgate , NY, but again - clichés are to be grown and Novo Amor makes it distinctive and sincerity.

Cold is the EP 's best song , and when the winter darkness falls most probably remain as one of the year's best songs from a singer / songwriter .

6/6 - GAFFA

When Justin Vernon made his now infamous appearance on stage at the Grammys in 2012, it was highly unlikely the disheveled and scraggly bearded songwriter knew his music would inspire so many to strap on a guitar and write gut-wrenching folk ballads. But on the off chance that those were in fact his intentions from the beginning, he should be proud of the work he’s accomplished.

Earlier this year we saw Tim Bettinson, aka Vancouver Sleep Clinic, embrace Vernon’s signature sound. Now out of Wales’ picturesque capital, Cardiff, we have another young talented songwriter on our hands. Ali Lacey, otherwise known as Novo Amor, is arguably the next best thing in folk music. Like his American counterpart, Lacey has a very natural and authentic feel; through his tender, weightless vocals he is able to pull on your heartstrings and lift you up into the heavens all in an instance.

In his newest EP, Woodgate, NY, the 22 year-old picks up where he last left—only this time, he has put every ounce of his heart and soul into his music. The production value is levels above his previous EP, with every vocal, string and percussion sounding crystal clear. Apart from the production, though, Lacey has only made a few tweaks here and there: His fragile and angelic voice is still very much the focus of attention, while his guitar continues to play the role of a guiding light.

Every bit of his music exudes passion, but it’s the third track on this EP, “Cold,” where Lacey finds his element and lifts a weight off of his shoulders. No longer a shadow of his idol, and limited only by his own abilities, he gives into his Southern desires and spreads his wings wide, soaring over a thunderous backdrop with a joyful spirit. His sense of discovery is truly infectious, and even if you can’t get past the similarities to his contemporary, you can bet that you will be cracking a smile after listening to this highly engrossing piece of folk excellence.

9/10 - Indie Current

He sings in trembling falsetto, furnishes his songs with threadbare acoustic flourishes and sounds as though he’s constantly on the verge of bawling his eyes out. Novo Amor is so much more accomplished than your bog standard Bon Iver imitator though. For starters, his bleak video for ‘Holland’ had us swearing hay fever season was back already. There’s just something about a bloke being splashed across the face by ceaseless tidal surges, you know?

More significantly, the whole Woodgate, NY EP is a thing of fragile beauty with songs for you to clutch tight on lonesome nights. We’ve rarely felt this way about a singer-songwriter since whatshisface first retreated from that log cabin in Northwestern Wisconsin. - Drowned in Sound

Novo Amor - real name Ali Lacey - seems to be drawn to extremity.

In terms of emotion, the songwriter's work is weighed down by melancholy, by a sense of loss. Yet it's more than this: Novo Amor is based in Wales, wrote his new EP in the Lake District and is signed to a Norwegian label.

Clearly, life away from the city is in his blood. New EP 'Woodgate, NY' drops on March 31st, containing four tracks of soft and quite striking songwriting.

A quick quote: "I’m really excited to be sharing this new record with the world. These songs are very personal to me, musically and lyrically. I feel this is a major progression from the first EP ‘Drift’… I am very happy to be releasing my latest work with Brilliance Records."

Ahead of this, Clash is able to premiere the video for 'Holland'. Shot by Josh Bennett, it finds Novo Amor by the shore with storm waves crashing in over grey stone.

Beautifully shot, you can watch it now. - Clash magazine