I hate to be presumptuous but then I am always honest here. The amazingly strong artistic pull of "Monstera" by BYLAND, the moniker of Seattle based (by way of Albuquerque) singer-songwriter / multi-instrumentalist Alie Renee Byland, has orbited in my brain for two weeks, gnawing at me in the best possible way. I love the way it sounds, the subversive, even seething anger underneath. At least that is what I feel when I listen to the emotional churn of Byland's vocal countenance and the ferocity of her guitar playing, not only the shapes of her progression but her chord choices. In my head, I kept feeling a sort of 90's Radiohead, or rather Thom Yorke aesthetic as it relates to swallowing anger and expressing it. Byland's dark poetic sense here, her lyrical bloodletting, her honesty is riveting and while Yorke came to mind, Fiona Apple comes to mind as well or maybe an amalgam of both artists.
From Liner Notes:
[“Monstera” was written about the journey - both emotional and physical - between Albuquerque and Seattle. Dedicated to a close friend and former band-mate, the song, which Byland says was “brutal” to write, “isn’t quite a love letter, but it is not an apology.” Moving away from her childhood home meant leaving her long-time collaborator after growing up thinking they’d always play music together. “I wasn’t just changing my address - I was breaking a promise,” Alie explains. I was the migratory bird that couldn’t stay. I was the Saturn that returned then went away.”
The “Monstera” tour will follow that migratory route from Southwest to Northwest, a drive that Alie has done many times over the past decade. This time, she’ll have her band with her, as well as her songwriting partner and husband, Jake Byland. Tickets are available at bylandmusic.com.]
I absolutely love everything about "Monstera", the emotional heaviness, the musical verve, the lyrical sideways sensibility. The track is the first original release since BYLAND's 2020 debut album "Gray" that I will have to dip into soon.
A mile a minute with a light load
But I can’t keep hiding
What I’m running from
You lent me shade and vitamins
Rare coins and extended stays
High fives instead of handshakes
Hell is real and you lived to tell
I’ve felt and seen it in the hands I’ve held
Five more leaves since I showed up
Five more leaves since I showed up
Five more leaves since I showed up
Ahhhh
Five more leaves since I showed up
Five more leaves
Five more leaves
Ahhhh
-Robb Donker Curtius
THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM
https://www.facebook.com/bylandmusic
https://twitter.com/bylandmusic
https://open.spotify.com/artist/5zSPR2YNjfLn5rNQPZiJgC
https://bylandmusic.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/bylandmusic/
BYLAND is the moniker and last name of Seattle based, Albuquerque raised, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Alie Renee.
Her latest studio record, “GRAY,” is brilliantly "a little weird" and breathes intriguing and often offbeat arrangements.
Alie’s cinematic, indie-rock sound is tethered by timeless songwriting and attentive production. Her music is grounded by vocally vulnerable moments that will move you to lean in and open yourself up.
After releasing her studio record, Gray, in late 2020, Byland received recognition from outlets like KEXP, American Songwriter, and Pop Matters, among others. The record was co-written with her partner, Jacob John, and produced by Nathan Yaccino, along with additional mixing by Andy Park. Notable contributors alongside Alie include a lineup of powerful females - Jessica Dobson (Deep Sea Diver), Meagan Grandall (Lemolo), and Abby Gundersen.
After having spent two years in Albuquerque, Alie moved back to Seattle in early 2022, where she is currently working on her second studio record with partner and co-writer, Jake, and Producer, Nathan Yaccino.
BYLAND, alt rock, indie rock, post punk, folk, "Monstera", singer songwriter / multi-instrumentalist Alie Renee Byland, obtuse poetry, emotional vocal aesthetic, lyrical blood letting,
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