Aloud (from Apollo 6

Aloud (from Apollo 6

Aloud (from Apollo 6 available on Lemon Merchant Records) (by Lee Zimmerman)
 
Like many artists and ensembles, the pandemic put the brakes on the L.A.-based outfit Aloud. It was particularly discouraging considering the fact it came on the heels of 2020's Sprezzatura, an ambitious effort that channeled the classic Muscles Shoals sound. Happily, though, the two people at the helm — Jen de la Osa and Henry Beguiristain — made good use of the time spent in lockdown and utilized various home studios to obtain the sound they were striving for.
 
As a result, their new album, Apollo 6 comes across as a decidedly intriguing effort, a veritable smorgasbord of psychedelic sounds, heavy duty hooks, and relentless Rock’n’Roll, all tempered by an imaginative array of tones and textures.

It’s a decidedly bold effort to be sure, and the opening track “Somewhere to Be” makes that quite clear. It, like the rest of the set, makes a most emphatic impression. There’s messaging with the music, given that Beguiristain and de la Osa consistently convey their views on topics that range from the need for daily meditation, to the downside of social media, and ways to cope with the fact that division and desperation have become the way of the world. These are troubling times after all, but as their handle suggests, Aloud is clearly ready to make themselves heard. Theirs is an emphatic sound that commands immediate attention. To that end, they make a big noise, expressed by intuitive arrangements and steady, insistent rhythms that propel the proceedings accordingly.
 
“Meditation for the Homebound”, “Big Blue”, “Stranger in the Alps”, “The Comeback Kid” serve as the best examples, although here are a handful of songs that veer from an otherwise turbulent template. “Morning Moon” starts off at a subdued pace until it too morphs into a solid stomp. Closing track “Stone Ape” is as odd as the name implies, further proof that Aloud is unafraid of expressing their originality.
 
Post-pandemic Aloud continues to soar. Apollo 6 provides a perfect lift-off.
(by Lee Zimmerman)
 
Listen and buy the music of Aloud from AMAZON
For more information, please visit the Aloud website