Two elements become immediately apparent in Alice Howe’s new album, Circumstance: Howe’s resplendent voice and the sunshine that feeds it. Circumstance shows off Howe’s chops, to be sure — with the album recorded at FAME Studios, who could resist some soul and old-school R&B? But Howe also incorporates blues, rock, and country into this skillful tour through American roots music.
Howe, a product of the Boston suburbs and Seattle, has a rich voice with a wide range and entrancing vibrato: her voice sounds like the Truth. Her musical collaborator, Freebo (who played bass for Bonnie Raitt in the ’70s) gives Howe’s penchant for ’70s-style rock an extra zing. While Howe spent her formative years quite a bit north of it, Laurel Canyon has deep roots in this music. On Circumstance, Howe and Freebo graft on some Muscle Shoals charm to a magical effect.
“With You By My Side” showcases the region’s horn section as Howe channels the ghosts of Aretha Frankling and Etta James. “You’ve Been Away So Long” features an intriguing vocal hook (similar to Jason Isbell’s “Middle of the Morning“), a plaintive cry even as Howe’s confidence soothes the soul. On the other hand, “Love Has No Rules” has a heavy undercurrent of the Pacific Northwest, deep in the background. More than anything else, Circumstance is a road map of Howe’s journey, pointing to the exciting paths she’s bound to travel next.
Circumstance will be released Friday, 4/21
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