I needed to start somewhere.
I am inspired. Jeez, It's been a long time coming. All it takes is a little nudge, in this case by a total stranger. I am grateful stranger, thank you.
My unintentional search for new music began on Twitter, then on a blog, which lead me to YouTube, onto SoundCloud and then a lengthly shuffle through related tracks. Now I have made my own little discovery. Admittedly thousands upon thousands of lucky people have listened, watched and admired Novo Amor before, but I found him today, and as of today he is my new obsession. Well, one of them, let's not forget I am pretty fanatical.
Spring 2016 is here already and all I crave for is to be back in New Zealand, somewhere incredibly far away. I have to remind myself everyday that it's integral for me to cherish where I am right now. The time until I go back may look enormous from here, but I hope it will sail by quickly. It was only Christmas yesterday, now we're prepping for the Easter bunny a.k.a ditching the diets for a few days, again. I mean, it's a hard life...
It's raining outside (shock) so to my boyfriends dismay I have locked myself away in 'the study' (the smallest, most cosy room in our house) to listen, write and daydream.
Fresh flowers and succulents surround me on the windowsills, rain sprinkles on the windows and my laptop blasts out music, whilst I sip on a vanilla rooibos tea - yet another new obsession may I add.
Novo Amor has opened up an entire secret garden of new tracks for me to devour. Along with Vancouver Sleep Clinic, Mikky Ekko, Nate Eiesland, Susie Suh... Okay Hannah, let's focus.
Novo Amor, or Ali Lacey to friends and family, is a twenty something year old songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist.
With that latter term, I'm not referring to a toddler attempting to play percussion. Unlike some folk music, his skills for experimentation go way beyond guitar riffs and banjo rolls. 'Alternative folk' only touches the surface of the vast sounds he creates with objects like bathtubs and garden hoses.
Um, yes, you heard that right.
The tracks are made up of dreamy melodies, fairy fingertip strums and delicate chords. There are layers of emphasis and progression. Like hundreds of petals on a flower, so beautiful individually, yet spectacular when they're all together on one stem. The theme of Novo Amor is melancholic tickled with the bright colours of gentle vocals. The overall combination cleverly projects rays of sunlight and comfort straight into your heart.
I'll hold, so near and cold, you've exhumed my love. I'm sold, and our story will grow old but you'll make dust from gold. I'll know that your heart was once like mine, watch the flaws unwind.
I'll throw my love to the ground, and i'll tear you out.
