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Writer's pictureSamuel Stevens

Allison Leah - the weight of my heart EP


The cover artwork for Allison Leah's brand new EP, the weight of the world. The photo depicts Allison sitting in the forest in the fall, as the leaves have changed to a yellowy-green, and taking the weather in as she has her eyes closed, looking to the left.

Release Date: November 4, 2022


Genre: Folk, Pop


Label: Independent


Allison Leah is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist based out of Nashville, Tennessee, but originally from New York. After releasing a handful of singles in the last several months, Allison is back with her brand new EP, the weight of my heart. The new EP was once again released independently without a label. Allison's the weight of my heart EP was produced with her friend Alex Bonyata (Bella Rose, Ben Buffington, The Young Something) and her father Jon Altschiller (Phish, Decemberists). Additionally, Bonyata co-wrote three of the six tracks featured on the weight of my heart. The two wrote the majority of the project in isolation, so no risk seemed too big for them, and it let their creativity run without limitations. In January of last year, when the two had finished the writing process of the new EP, Allison went out to New York to record it at her dad's recording studio Chiller Sound.


The lyricism on the weight of my heart is complex and genuine. Allison shares a reflective, intricate, and confessional autobiographical journey throughout her life since the release of her last effort, Fly Home (2018). The six songs that do form the EP -as the title of it indicates- all share stories that occurred in her life over the past few years that weighed on her heart and how she processes these vulnerable situations. The EP's opening number and lead single, "what i'm missing," tackles Allison's difficulty of living in the moment. "sorry for myself" touches on being pushed to the limit in a relationship and finally saying enough is enough. Whereas the EP's second single, "24 years down," is about Allison finding where she belongs in her mid-twenties and coming to terms with her morality. It was written as a reminder to herself that she still has so much time left to live the life she wants. The EP's closing track, "better off numb," is a reminder not to take yourself too seriously. "better off numb" pens a tongue-in-cheek look at the five songs that came before it.


Sonically, the weight of my heart is a massive shift forward for Allison and showcases a major maturity in her songwriting. She takes her folk roots and blends them with various pop elements to create an otherworldly landscape to detail the stories she wrote about her life. Without any limitations in their sight, Allison and her dad were also experimenting with various nontraditional and unusual items to add aspects to the background of her music.


With a new direction in her music, "what i'm missing" is a layered and atmospheric pop number that is quite synthy. The track uses numerous types of sounds and instruments to create a bigger picture behind her lyricism. "24 years down" is a full-blown ballad. Beginning with piano, the track evolves to bring in intricate acoustic guitars until it grows to the climax with a more pop-rock ballad style to it. With her experimentation, on "24 years down," she recorded ice on a pond and hit mugs with spoons to create a sound to her that signified years passing. "sorry for myself" showcases Allison's vocal range. During the verses of the track, Allison sings in a sultry, breathy, and softer tone, but she belts and lets her voice soar during the choruses of this synthy pop-rock number. Further on the EP, "i gave u my number" transcends her sound. The track blends acoustic guitars and striking keyboards and synths. It's the perfect blend of her previous folk sound with a light sprinkling of her newfound pop side to her. Additionally, the kick drum on "i gave u my number" is interestingly just a recording of a bag full of ash from her fireplace that was dropped on the ground. Then you have "constellations." This particular track might be the old Alison you have heard in the past. Delivering a full fledge acoustic arrangement, she bares her soul on the track and it juxtaposes the tone the music creates. Finally, "better off numb" closes out the EP with another folky pop number. Simple instrumentals with a pretty falsetto vocal style and heavy use of vocal harmonies, the song showcases an even more fresh breath to her songwriting limits. Be sure to check out her brand new EP the weight of my heart now on all music streaming services.

 

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