Music soothes the soul. The same way that a good cup of coffee can energize and jumpstart your day- well, so can good music. For some, they prefer their coffee black; or their music punchy, to the point and aggressive. For others, they like some cream. Some sugar. Some additional flavors to better flesh out the experience. Whatever your preference, one thing we can all agree on is that whether coffee- or music, when it’s good, it’s good. With her fantastic new album, Ten Years of Solitude, Indie/pop folk rocker Alya combines a plethora of wonderful flavors into one wildly satisfying and varied delicious musical experience.
Ten Years of Solitude delivers on a number of levels. Alya shows off her knack for sharp songwriting with each excellent track. Album opener. “Animals” is as haunting as it is immediate. “Angel” shows off Alya’s impressive vocals while stretching the limits of her already impressive songwriting. The strong contender for song of the album really comes together in its powerful chorus.
Out of the box instrumentation and unexpected melodic directions elevate “Romano” to an instant classic. Taking chances is not a choice but a must when it comes to great artists. Alya doesn’t hesitate to push the envelope at every opportunity throughout the ten tracks of the album.
To be indefinable is a virtue. Copycats, wannabees and ripoffs are all too easily seen as the majority. And while that’s no doubt sad and doesn’t exactly bode well for the birth of unique artists with a strong voice both in ability and message, there still are some absolute diamonds to be found among the rough. Alya is that diamond. Ten Years of Solitude is the album you didn’t know you needed but after listening to once will not know how you lived without it previously. Alya doesn’t hesitate to take chances- don’t hesitate to check out this killer album!
