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Aimee Allen - A Little Happiness
- Aimee Allen’s album, ‘A Little Happiness’ is part celebratory bliss and part bleak examination. Allen really brings out the two extremes very well. She has a song about her faith in God and another song about the undertaker spreading death. That’s about as opposite in theme and tone that you can get. Her mainly acoustic-centered music and light, sensual voice go together to make the listener feel like they are surrounded by sunshine. What really makes these songs such feel good numbers is that they don’t show a perfect world. Allen speaks of dealing with and overcoming her past troubles and frustrations, which makes her upbeat state all the more contagious.
‘A Little Happiness’ opens on “Change in Weather”, with heavy clapping substituting the beat. The song itself hits such a wide variety of tones as the style is constantly contorting in a crescendo that blends all of these styles together. The track is very reflective and in the end a bright song about relationship struggles and self-empowerment.
“On Vacation” is one of the most defining songs on Allen’s album and my personal favorite. It really embodies thankfulness for life and a distinct happiness for a new found independence. Allen provides very snappy singing brought out further by the backup vocals echoing and extending her cheerful lyrics. The track shows Allen at a high point. It even features a whistling solo, hinting at the worry-free sheer bliss. “Save Me” has a similar upbeat melody and tone even though the first words in the song are, “I had a bad day, don’t talk to me." The light and carefree guitar strumming resembles a ukulele, bringing out a Hawaiian hum. Allen lists her faults, yet embraces all of them.
Allen has a few darker songs on the album; “Calling the Maker” specifically comes to mind, which seems like it could belong in a western film. Booming low organ sounds vibrate, setting a cold and dark tone. Allen displays edgy vocals, full of attitude and force as if she is foretelling a horrid but uncontrollable truth. The background chanting sounds like death itself, which is pretty fitting for a song about the undertaker. “Crazy” and “Silence is Violence” are two other songs that follow the somewhat more bleak sound. “Silence is Violence” has a deep, heavy beat alongside an intensely dreary sound that hangs off deep sultry vocals that eventually form tighter poetic revelations. In “Crazy”, the predominant piano tapping brings out Allen’s soulful voice through more traditional sweeping vocals, which differ from her usual detracted and sassy vocals on the majority of the CD.
Through high-pitched piano notes, “La La Land” has both a lullaby and fairy tale quality to it. The song is about getting over a break up and being lost in your mind thinking about that person again and again. The album contains a lot of break up- and post-break up-centered songs, but “Lean In To Me” is clearly either before this time or shows signs of the previous songs maturing Allen to a caring and nurturing role. It’s a softly therapeutic track that shows growth and a simple but meaningful gesture. Allen’s cover of Sublime’s “Santeria” enhances similarities in the artists’ sounds and brings out that spirited and freeing Hawaiian sound once again. Allen ends the album with “God Talks”, the deeply melodic professing of Allen’s relationship with God as she is backed by a chorus that gives you the sense of an entire church’s joyous outcries of faith.
Aimee Allen’s “A Little Happiness” has plenty of variety, making the most of the highs and lows of life. Allen hits on the edgier spunky numbers better than you would expect since in other numbers she brings out happiness and sunshine with allure and charm. ‘A Little Happiness’ is a feel good album filled with songs perfect for summertime. It’s possibly even better suited for the cold winter months or when you are simply feeling low, as the CD can help add a spark to your life through understanding and acknowledgment of the bad times. Aimee Allen is a very talented and, most importantly, very individualistic and self-expressive artist. ‘A Little Happiness’ brings out what her personality, mind and flair can amount to.
Reviewer: Kelsey Zukowski
new
Reviewer's Rating: 8
Reader's Rating: 10.00
Reader's Votes: 4
Added: 23-Jul-2009
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