By Ann Driscoll
Associate Editor
If I were a music publisher, I would snatch up Alicia Lemke in a heartbeat. She has TV and film placement potentially virtually embedded into her earthy, wistful folk-pop debut Shades of Motion. To begin with, the five-song EP is exquisitely produced and performed by Lemke, a Berklee freshman, and her team of recent alumni: Josh Fobare, Alvaro Kapaz, Pablo Eluchans, and Ryan Gleason. Lemke’s pretty, conversational vocals are clear as a bell, occasionally accompanied by soft harmonies. A steady interplay between piano and acoustic guitar form the harmonic texture of most of the tracks. The arrangements compliment the songs without being obtrusive — from the upright bass on “Wave to Nowhere” to the organ on “The Break-Up Song” to the hand claps on “I’m Here to Stay.” Recorded and mixed by Gerry Putnam at Cedar House Sound in New Hampshire, the music is sonically ready- as crisp and well-performed as any Ingrid Michaelson or Colbie Caillat record.
The 22-year old Lemke has a knack for straightforward, unpretentious lyrical nuggets: “I miss you as much as anyone can miss what’s done- done are the days of ever after,” she sings with resignation on opener, “Wave to Nowhere.” Lemke graduated from Swarthmore with a degree in Theater and a minor in Biology, and spent a summer, conducting environmental science field research in Australia. She contemplates the physical world with impressionistic observations in the title track. “Purple light frames the highway/Spinning past yellow dotted lines/Counting signs.” Lemke remains even-keeled and earnest throughout her recounting of bad breakups. She sings, “You screwed me once and you screwed me twice” and completes the couplet with “My problem is I haven’t taken my own lame advice.”
On closing track “I’m Here To Stay,” Lemke showcases more pop than folk with “Come On Eileen”-esque melody soaring above multi-tracked handclaps and jumpy piano. You could easily hear it in a Target ad or a Grey’s Anatomy episode. In this day and age where sync licenses earn artists more money than record sales, there may be no better compliment to pay Shades of Motion’s industry potential.
Shades of Motion is available now on iTunes and physical copies will be available at Alicia Lemke shows.
