By Matt Cunningham
Alison Sudol is an up and coming singer and songwriter who released her new EP, Moon on Friday, Nov 2. Sudol is also playing the role of Queenie Goldstein in the new film Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.
In her music, she blurs the line between multiple genres such as indie folk and indie pop. Her new EP features the title track “Moon”, and four other original songs that she wrote. Each of the songs on the EP are very similar to each other, as this album was vastly disappointing to me.
Moon by Alison Sudol, released November 2.
Sudol clearly has some talent, as the tracks are lyrically strong and easy to memorize after a few listens. Some of her skills on the piano are on display throughout the EP, Sudol may be more suited for being a piano player in a band or for an orchestral score in a film. Her vocals on the EP is what made five songs seem like an eternity. She sounds very screechy and high-pitched to an uncomfortable extent. This sadly makes for an unpleasant listening experience that is more angering than relaxing.
As a songwriter, it is extremely difficult to make quality music. There is a minimal amount of musical artists who make enough money to support themselves. Sudol needs to find her niche, as it sadly is not being a lead vocalist on a solo project or with a band of any kind. She sounds off-key on the entire EP. Her voice seems to be echoing in an empty room.She seems to constantly be at a high-pitched tone throughout the five songs, and she doesn’t show much vocal range in any of the songs.
If you’re a gigantic fan of indie music, then you might find some enjoyment on the EP. Other than some skills being flexed on the piano, most of the album features some poorly done electronic beats. I hope to see Sudol use her piano abilities in something else in the future. For this EP, it is the only positive on an extremely weak series of songs. The music seems to have come from a place of pain for Sudol, and I respect the emotional aspect behind the lyrics.
“Moon unaware that you’re wanted. Moon unaware that you move” shows strength in songwriting for Sudol, because of her ability to use her life experiences and express it in a song.
In a year with so many stellar albums, EPs and songs, Moon will not be something I will return to any time soon. Sudol shows potential across the 23 minutes of music, but this is just a beginner’s step towards other things. As a supporter of many small artists, it pains me to give Alison Sudol – Moon a two out of ten.
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