by Erik Rabasca

Thursday, December 16, 2021

It’s rare when everything an artist does feels so natural, so spontaneous and so inviting that you can’t help but get pulled in. “Well this is quite a moment” acknowledged the Berlin-based, South African indie singer-songwriter, Alice Phoebe Lou early at her recent sold out December 4th show at Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn, NY. Without doubt it was indeed a moment where time had stopped with the entire audience focused on one shining star.

Backed by a four-piece band who knew that all eyes were not on them, Lou and her band delivered an effortless 90 minute show covering some fan favorites and introducing songs from her fifth album, Child’s Play, released earlier that day, her second album in 2021 after releasing Glow earlier this year. “We’ll have to let some old songs go. I know this will disappoint some of you but it’s about growth” Lou shared with apologetic embarrassment to cheers from the crowd. 

She could clearly do no wrong in their eyes. Every note, every bit of banter and every movement transported and connected everyone in attendance like in this brief clip from her hit song, “Something Holy”. 

You can see someone so uninhibited and fully comfortable in her own body, a topic she sings about whether it be sensual escapes or claiming her own power, fully in command of her connection to her own feelings matching her actions. Her thoughts flowed freely…“You (Brooklyn fans) make me feel at home, where I can be myself. You’re the best, better than everywhere else. I’ll probably get in trouble for that.”

My favorite album of hers is “Live At Funkhaus” released in 2020 which captures an artist fully realized.

Her band plays Lou’s songs with the sensitivity of jazz musicians creating ethereal transcendence and breezy moments within these quiet indie singer-songwriter anthems.

Lou even taps a touch of punk with unique vocal affectations in her singular delivery. She owns every note. 

Glow (2021) has produced some of her most popular songs to date. “Witches” and “Dirty Mouth” are epic crowd pleasers with incredible musicality and composition. At Music Hall of Williamsburg, everyone sang every word. But her growing catalog contains many gems worth exploring. 

If you like what you hear above. I encourage you to dive in further on YouTube where you can get gems like this cover of Lou Reed’s “Walk On The Wild Side” from four years ago and on Instagram @alicephoebelou where she does the random and unexpected livestream from time to time. You’ll see that effortlessness on full display. 

Abut the author:
Erik Rabasca is the founder of the band Light Warriors and the record label, Highest Frequency Records. Follow @erikrabasca on Instagram for more on his shows and projects.

*Photo on Blog Home Page is from Metal Magazine 

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Letter from the Editor, 

Every so often when listening to a new artist or even an older one, something clicks and we’re able to hear music with the newness that makes us keep going back for more. Perhaps we’re hearing a known artist in an entirely new light or a familiar melodic phrase or lyric we’ve been pondering that suddenly has new meaning. It could be the instrumentation or the vocal style that entices us. 

Music has a visceral impact on me (and I’m sure you too), and I can’t exactly figure out why. Perhaps my son, who studied music cognition, can explain it to me one day. In the many decades I’ve been listening to music, starting as a tot in the late 60s, into the 70s, 80s and through the 2000s, I’ve heard a hell of a lot of music and been to a ton of live shows. There’s nothing more exciting than hearing or seeing an artist whose sound or performance just stops you in your tracks. That thrill of discovery is probably what keeps me seeking for more. 

Erik Rabasca, a fellow music-obsessed like-minded friend who is also a musician, and I have teamed up to share music with the Hear It There audience to consider; either new artists that we feel are unique and worthy of attention or ones who you already know and might reconsider and have another listen. 

The new series will go under the title “HiT Picks” and will be published bi-monthly. We hope you give our choices a chance because there’s nothing more bonding than when others hear what you also hear and then share that love and thrill of music together. 

We want to know what you think and we hope you enjoy it!

Elisa & Erik