Alice Pheobe Lou is comforting and therapautic in latest album “Shelter”
“I’m offering myself up to the heavens/ I’m ready to love what I’ve been given” declares Alice Phoebe Lou in “Open My Door”, the second lead single of her new shimmering album “Shelter”. This song serves as a reference point for the messages of this most revelational album, capturing the 9 track sequence in its most vulnerable state of sweet release. Each song is a step between genres like jazz, folk, and indie rock; a knack for variety in sound gives this collection the room it needs to truly express maturation.
At the start of it all lies “Angel”, a traipse into unpredictable realities. She’s walking us through a lonely night, matching the pace of a gentle steel guitar and paying gratitude to the angel looking out for her along the way. The fully instrumental outro is over a minute long as if to let the melody slow dance with itself for a while longer, inevitably warming up our hearts for the rest of the album.
The project’s three lead singles are notably placed within the album in the same order they were released, as if to express loyalty to their integral roles in self expression. “I wasn’t making the most of everything surrounding me” she confesses in “Shelter”. The catchy title track sounds like it was made for listening at the seaside, with guitars rocking back and forth and her voice trickling up and around as if it came from underwater. “Lose My Head” is the album’s most playful piece, pressing its foot on the accelerator with more and more intent in each quickly passing drum beat. It’s not until the end that she starts pumping the brakes on escapism and delves into her desire: “It’s already there/ it feels so perfect” she admits.
In reference to the Berlin-based singer-songwriter, the word “independent” is a double entendre: she has no strings attached to a record label, and as far as relationships go she’s the only one she truly needs. However, in “Hammer” she recognizes that companionship and intimacy can’t be shoved away forever by fear or an overabundance of autonomy. This track is over 5 minutes long, containing rhythm and vocals that sweep you off your feet with their warmhearted nature. The longevity gives the feeling that she’s allowing plenty of room for all of the right words to come out, perfecting them with lush instrumentals as she goes. By the end, she’s ready to tear down her walls and let love in: “I’ll get the hammer you put on the music/ And let’s break them down”.
In the second half of this new release we find her wrapped up in gratitude and summer sun. Love takes on its most potent form, bubbling up and spilling out of the seams of “Halo” and “Shine” as she sings about the joy she has found in herself, others, and the world around her. Combined with vibrant musical arrangements, their refreshing outlooks have come at the perfect time. Their radiant demeanors balance the scales in her unrepeatable artistry: her ability to write some of the most tender love songs can’t come without the skill of breaking your heart with just the shake of her voice (see “Lately”).
The album’s closer, “My Girl”, is a perfect picture of modern womanhood. Her already otherworldly vocals are multiplied into goosebump-inducing harmonies, transforming this track into a soothing lullaby. With words as her tools, she pries open a space for a conversation on women’s rights in wake of their fight that continues around the world: “Your body’s nobody’s but yours” she asserts.
“Shelter”, the new album by Alice Phoebe Lou, is a testament to the importance of a place where you can take cover from life’s storms. A door to open at will and walls to retreat into is emphasized as an essential part in her growth. By the end of this record she is no longer mistaking love for something that drowns independence, but rather a tool that waters and reflects the devotion found within. By releasing these songs out into the world, she encourages listeners in similar positions to do the same.