Alli Rogers
April 15, 2008
Carry A Light
Alli Rogers has always shown a gift for ‘storytelling songs’. But on Carry A Light she doesn’t do just that, she also cleverly composed the music with it. This song is a real interaction between the lyrics and the music. I compared her to Kendall Payne before, and I can’t help myself but comparing the two again. Both are excellent singers and songwriters.
Don’t Wash Your Hands Of Me
Don’t Wash Your Hands Of Me has that folk/americana sound that Jewel had in her good old days. It’s a great pop song, but it has the folk feel, if you know what I mean. And the way Alli delivers the song just makes you listen.
Closer To The Moon
This piano-driven song is a real gem. And the way the percussion/drums gently guide the song is worth a mention too. Everything is subjected to Alli’s wonderful voice that shows slight hints of comparison with Missy Higgins without really sounding like her. Closer To The Moon is a song that would be a perfect fit for many tv shows. Listen to this song and voice your own opinion, but I think you will all agree this song has something special.
At Sea
We’ve heard At Sea before on the live album with the same name. When I heard it for the first time on “At Sea” I was drawn to this song instantly. Though it sounds a little different from the live version (well it is a studio version, so that’s not really too strange) it still has the nice energy and pace that make it a good fit for a radio single. And even though I didn’t really think it would be, it proved to be a sing-along song for me. I love how the piano and the vocals interact dynamically and how strong yet fragile Alli’s vocals are. This song will always be one of my favorite Alli Rogers songs.
The Things We Can And Cannot Keep
It took me several listens to really appreciate this song. On The Things We Can And Cannot Keep Alli’s vocals sound a little different for some reason. It still has the gentle and sober sound that many Alli Rogers songs have, but it sounds a bit darker too in a way. I miss the brisky, hopeful sound that she displays most of the time. It fits her better in my opinion.
I Caught Sight
I Caught Sight was actually the first song I heard off this album. This is the only Alli Rogers song that I really couldn’t get into. It’s not a bad song, but I just never connected to this song. The chorus has a nice little beat but I miss the sparkle in Alli’s vocals all through the song and musically the song doesn’t click for me. And most of all, I didn’t feel this song in connection with the rest of the album. Like it was out of place.
Baby I Believe In You
The brisky, jazzy, soulful Baby I Believe In You is AMAZING. When I listen to this I wonder why artists like KT Tunstall, Amy MacDonald, Missy Higgins (nothing against them, I do enjoy their music) are able to break through, but Alli Rogers hasn’t had her breakthrough yet. This song is in no way less than any of the songs by the lady singers I just mentioned. Baby I Believe In You is a really strong song where Alli Rogers shows some vocal and musical diversity and she does it with flying colors.
How Long Until We Get There
How Long Until We Get There follows perfectly from the last song. The playful and soft vocals with a bit of a soulful beat under it lead up to the more poppy, lush chorus that springs and blossoms the song. It’s one of my favorites, but I think this song is a “love it” or “don’t care for it” type of song.
New Today
This song was also featured on the live album. I still think that lyrically it’s not her best song but that her vocals are very strong in it. I do not really connect to it very much, but I do love listening to it. That sounds like a contradiction, but I can’t help it.
Come Now My Love
What a beautiful album closer. Come Now My Love, like the album opener is a great example of how music and words interact and get an extra dimension through Alli’s wonderful vocals.
“Always Eden” & “The Day Of Small Things” were great albums and “You And The Evening Sky” was highly anticipated by the fans and certain press. Alli Rogers stays true to her roots and what she does best. One could argue that there isn’t much growth from album to album because they are all so similar. But I don’t think so. You have artists that try something new with every album, and you have artists that do something so well that they stick with what they do best. Alli Rogers is one of those artists. With remarkable honesty and genuine emotion she evokes that same emotion in the listener. She might not do things that haven’t been done before, but why would you want to change something that doesn’t need changing? Especially if you have a singer/songwriter who excells in it. I’d say: Hats off for Alli Rogers!