Review: Allo Darlin' - "We Come From the Same Place" (Slumberland, 2014)

 

I was first introduced to Brit-pop after I turned 15–a friend of mine showed me Belle & Sebastian at summer camp one day while I was still bent on Classic Rock as the only genre of music that mattered. He showed me how much more capable of accessing my emotions this music was than anything else I had been listening to at the time (because who can better relate to a high schooler than Stuart Murdoch?). Six years later "Like Dylan in the Movies" is still my Autumn anthem, and has essentially become the new center from which I build almost my entire taste in music. Almost.

Allo Darlin' fits well into this emotional Brit-pop spectrum. The band's third, full-length, delightfully British installment We Come From the Same Place is composed of eleven cheery, uplifting pop songs leaving the listener emotionally bruised and asking for more. The band thoughtfully combines ukulele progressions, catchy guitar riffs, and coffeehouse-style percussive brushes along with witty and heartfelt lyrics to make this record genuinely captivating. According to this insightful Stereogum interview with frontwoman Elizabeth Morris, We Come From the Same Place was recorded live with minimal overdubs, giving the record a somewhat grittier sound. Whereas their 2012 album Europe (Fortuna Pop!/Slumberland, 2012) was more heavily decorated in the studio, Morris explains, “OK, that was a good experience, but we want to try and capture something.” The band's "live" sound in the recordings is refreshing to a close listener. It feels inviting on the listeners part, where the band is comfortable letting the listener hear it without hiding any perceived mistakes or blemishes.

Morris has a way of cracking her honest, demure voice at certain points that really help drive some of her emotional points home, "I never said things would be okay / I'm just trying to make it through another Tuesday". Lyrics become cute and optimistic at other points, "Do you believe in fun? (I sure do!)". Happy or sad, these are phrases that communicate a great deal in a few words. According to Slumberland's website, Morris wrote many of these lyrics during a transitional period in her life.

“So many things have happened since I first wrote the songs that make up this album, it´s difficult to remember back to where it all began. The songs were written very quickly, during a period when I found writing songs very easy, whereas I often find songwriting very difficult.”

Last year she moved to Italy with her husband where spent she time traveling, writing, and contemplating. This record reflects that in her songwriting.

We Come From the Same Place lands at record stores tomorrow.

Stream "Bright Eyes" below via Soundcloud.