Alice Boman #6 - Red Eyes

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You probably noticed the World Cup started yesterday. I spent my evening like pretty much everyone else, watching the game in the hope of a great footballing spectacle from Brazil only to find myself increasing cheering for Croatia as the decisions of the referee continued to impact the result. With England kicking off on Saturday on a pitch that looks utterly horrific, I can only imagine the things I'll be shouting at my TV then... 

The obvious side effect of my increased exposure to football is a decrease in gig attendance (until Glastonbury at least and unless anyone has a spare DeLorean hanging around), yesterday saw me miss an artist I've been meaning to catch up with again for a little while and whom I also missed at The Great Escape due to clashes, Alice Boman. She played at the lovely St Pancras Old Church, the setting was sure to be a match made in heaven...

Yet, as if she knew I was eager for more music from her (her EP II was released just last week and is available via Rough Trade), I popped onto soundcloud before bed and there waiting for me (and the whole Internet) was a track from Alice, a cover of the War on Drugs song "Red Eyes".

It sees Alice add her typical intimacy and stark piano chords to the track, stripped bare of the originals buoyant melody and sparkling synths with the emphasis put firmly onto her haunting vocals, here front and centre; turning a Springsteen-esque rocker into a sad-pop lullaby is something Alice Boman can seemingly do at will, beauty awaits below.

Alice Boman #5 - Lead Me

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Alice Boman is another of those artists I seem to feature here everytime she releases a new track, if you press play on the video below you'll soon understand why. "Lead Me" is taken from Alice's forthcoming EP II and is beautiful. That would probably be enough for some blogs but I do like to add a paragraph of waffle...

"Lead Me", here recorded live in a beautifully lit kitchen, is much like Alice's tracks before it, heading straight for the heart, an intimate, delicate tale of the trials of love, backed solely by softening keys "Lead Me" is possibly the brightest moment we've heard from Alice so far, it's the perfect way to start your long weekend.

I've also included the newly released video for a track I've covered previously, the equally gorgeous "Over" taken from the same release. A release you'll probably want (and luckily for you, can have by pressing on this link).

 

Alice Boman #4 - Over

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Alice Boman's new track "Over" starts off with a line which encapsulates the feeling I get when I listen to her exquisite music; "You know I need the darkness, just as much I as I need the light". A few words that bring together her minimal beats and longing piano chords, part ghostly, haunting mood and crystalline beauty thanks to Alice's tender, devastating vocal delivery. It's sure to touch you on the inside.

As I mentioned last week, Alice plays The Great Escape this forthcoming weekend and she also has a show with the wonderful Jenny Hval on June 3rd (details). The same day sees her EP II released via Happy Death, something that you can pre-order now at Rough Trade.

Alice Boman #3 - What

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On 2013's Skisser EP Alice Boman introduced herself as someone to take seriously, armed with a set of bedroom recordings, plaintive piano chords and a beautifully hushed voice she produced one the most beautiful moments of last year with "Waiting". She returned this week with news of her next EP (handily entitled EP II) and the good news is simple for those who fell under her spell (and newcomers too), "What" offers an equally beautiful experience.

The track immediately seduces, a stark and fragile piano-led ballad full of haunting, echoey atmosphere and Alice's sweetly-hushed vocals, the result is an intimate, bare-boned listen capable of bringing you close to tears.

EP II is released June 3rd via Happy Death and there's good news for fellow gig goers too as Alice was announced amongst the latest additions to The Great Escape festival line-up in May. She's on my list of must-sees.

Alice Boman #2 - Skiss 3

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Another of my 'Tips for 2014' now, Alice Boman is set to release a brand new EP in the Spring but first we're treated to a final hurrah for her debut Skisser...

"Skiss 3" gives latecomers a perfect insight to the haunting intimacy of her bedroom recordings, the track sees an echoed piano melody matched by Alice's fragile vocals and sends chills through you with a natural sense of stark beauty.

The follow up can't come soon enough.

Skisser is available on download / 10" vinyl (with a bonus track) now via Adrian Recordings.

Tips For 2014 #1 - Alice Boman

Welcome to the start of my 'list' posts. Following from yesterdays Blog Sound shortlist. It's December so I figure I'm allowed... I'm a geek and statto and I bloody love lists even if I know not everyone does, I've read some tips (and albums, which I'll be concentrating on next week) I agree with and some I don't, that's the nature of the beast...

Over the past couple of years I've always featured a recap of the acts I picked the year before but this year I've decided not to do the same. There are a few reasons, duplication, time and a desire to just look forward with my 'tips'. For those of you interested I'll list my thirteen acts for 2013 next. Alice Jemima, Bird, Daughter, Embers, Emily and the Woods, Fear of Men, Haim, Let's Buy Happiness, Novella, Pins, Savages, SeaWitches & September Girls. Altogether a mixed bag of results occurred.

For 2014 I've decided to just do ten tips which is a few less than the previous couple of years. My tips aren't who'll sell the most albums or who'll be Drowned in Sound's favourite act of the year, simply ten acts/artists that I think are likely to produce some of the best music in 2014. To avoid complete duplication with last years acts (I could easily feature the nine artists that never released their debut in 2013 again) I've taken the decision to exclude previous tips rather than simply repeat them again. So of course I still bloody love Embers and think they'll produce an incredible record but they won't feature on this list. The same can be said for September Girls, Novella etc etc.

The only other criteria for inclusion is my own personal taste. Anyway, less waffle, more music and onwards with tip one (the other nine will follow at a rate of two a day in alphabetical order), the incredible Alice Boman...

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Alice Boman was a discovery half way through the year just as summer was coming to the boil and I was posting summery, fuzzy indie-pop. Her intimate whispers and delicate piano sparkles are anything but that and perfect to reach for now as we're all wrapped in blankets to keep away the chill.

My introduction to Alice was probably the same as yours, a track so good that it will make you stop what you are doing and give it your full attention, "Waiting". Easily one of the best tracks of the year and one with the most devastating opening line; "I want you more than I need you, I need you so bad"... Taken from Alice's debut EP Skisser, recorded in her Malmö bedroom with the resultant five tracks (six on the following vinyl release) excelling in a natural sense of fragile, stark beauty that shimmer with a frosty chill that touch at emotions seldom touched. "Skiss 8" comes close to matching "Waiting" too with its repeated cries of "I've been looking for you, been looking for you, all over"..

I later caught Alice live at Servants Jazz Quarters where she found the venues piano perfectly suiting to her needs and played a short but spine-tingling performance that made the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end, a few new tracks hinted at future brilliance and I'm sure I'm not alone in the queue to hear more.

Skisser is available now on 10" vinyl via Adrian Recordings.

Alice Boman – New Music "Introducing"

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After a couple of typically fuzzy posts comes something that's brought me to my knees, so devastatingly beautiful is the debut EP of Alice Boman, a singer/songwriter from Malmo.

"Waiting" was the track that did it to me, a noticeably home recorded sound (you can literally hear the cassette tape hiss) only adds to the wholly emotive and absorbing journey with Alice's hushed whispers and delicate piano sparkles creating a sound that is unbearably sad yet overwhelmingly gorgeous and absorbing.

The track is taken from Alice's debut EP "Skisser" ("Sketches" in Swedish) which was released May 30th via Adrian Recordings, the other four tracks are similarly stark, wonderful dreamscapes. Three of the tracks are numbered rather than named, each intimate, naturally fragile and majestic with "What Are You Searching For" closing this spine-tingling release with more forlorn, aching wonder.

I'd not heard of Alice Boman until a post on Kalamitat yesterday so thanks for the discovery must go to them.