ALEXANDER EVANGELISTA - Windswept Leaves - ALBUM REVIEW

ALEXANDER EVANGELISTA

Windswept Leaves

Saginaw, MI, United States

Alexander Evangelista presents something earthly and familiar from his latest album release. These 11 tracks represent the solid foundation for Evangelista's artistry. From the warm tones to the flickers are autumn, this is an album suited to all seasons that house the soul.

In a mixture of acoustic folk and pop, this project is one that will appeal to fans of acoustic guitar-lined productions.

'Getting over you' begins the album with a sweep of acoustic guitar strums and plucks. The vocals shocked me at first breath, a warm and soulful smooth and rich reverbed layer of peace. Although the album begins with depressing lyrics, they speak a truth - an expression of healing that is an integral part of this artists' creations. 'Baby I'll Go' continues this line of thought whilst bridging the way between folk and pop. A very Lewis Capaldi style of songwriting! Once more, Evangelista taps into the endeavours of a broken soul through 'Cherry Blossoms' before making way for 'Still Holdin' On Tight'

'Still Holdin' On Tight' moves away from the dominance of guitar plucks and into sway-worthy strum and lengthy toned lyrics. A nice break in between is provided by a harmonica solo adding something new to the project. In contrast, 'Windswept Leaves' offers a faster strumming pattern with slight hammer tones in between transitions. Another gorgeous vocal speaks of heartbreak and moving on.

'Let Me Go' refers back to the similar composition of 'Still Holdin' On Tight', slick smooth and effective. 'Even When I'm Gone' also holds similarities to past songs on this album to give listeners consistency.

'How You Gonna Live?' brings the sound of Ben Howard to the album – In a whirlwind of emotion-topped vocals, this song eases listeners through a song that speaks of pain, questioning how someone is going to live with the narrator. A beautifully soulful song.

Moving away from the familiarities on the album, ‘If I Drown’ heads away from the basic stripped-back performances and into a world of subtle drumming, electric guitar, and a lot of layers. This is a magnificent example of what it sounds like to add layers without overpowering a performance. Gorgeous vocal layers and swaying backings hint at the sound of R&B/Pop artist Khalid.

‘Frozen’ strips things back down again but doesn’t lose the momentum of the previous song. This song is reminiscent of the scaled-back folk-pop work of Ed Sheeran both lyrically and through some of the vocal tones. The basic lullaby guitar plucks lift listeners further into the world of Evangelista’s creative talents. Again, listeners are brought into a world of vocal smoothness.

‘Hands of Time’ concludes the album with a taste of something new. For the first and only time, fans are introduced to an acoustic piano in a ballad-style finale. Gorgeous guitar riffs ride the wave of the keys at the end of sequences to lift the production further. A beautiful ending to an album that just gets better and better as it goes on.