Emerging Dutch singer/songwriter Alice Aera enters our site with her latest EP entitled Between Spaces EP. The 8 track project explores the dynamics of love, relationships and the outpour of emotions that come with entering a new romance.
“Between Spaces Intro” starts with a spoken word performance underpinned by Alice’s sultry vocals and subtle hums that are layered with a moody and atmospheric pad and sparse guitar plucks. This is followed by “Damage”, a heartfelt and emotional piece that dives into basking in the arms of that special someone. She exclaims “They say life is for the living, would you be my sweetest mistake for the morning” as she pours her heart on wax. Next is “Stuck On You”, which sees Alice confessing her love for someone who is taken but she just can’t get them off her mind. Bolstered by Neenyo’s downtempo grooves and brooding textures, Alice delivers a soul-stirring performance that is punctuated by an unfiltered display of emotions and engaging songwriting that audiences can feel. In “Naked”, Alice leads us on a journey of exploration and realization. She feels something is brewing and can’t help but seek it in that special someone whose presence is all she needs at the moment. Once more, Alice’s distinct melodic runs take precedence and her knack for penning vivid stories is what drives the track.
“Emotionally Unavailable” is a duet with fellow singer Khalil and together they share their thoughts on fleeting love and the attempts to salvage it. As the title suggests, it presents a situation where one party is emotionally unavailable and the push and pull occurs leaving one party confused and unsure of what to do. “Sweetlove Interlude” serves as a break before the last two songs come in and address feelings of finding true love. “HARD” talks about bottled-up feelings and the difficulty in fully expressing one’s true desires to a potential lover due to personal trepidations. The final track “You and I” features fellow vocalist Majo and brings the project to a glorious end with its heartwarming textures, sombre vibe and alluring melodic runs. Here, Alice and Majo share their perspectives on a fledging relationship and if the decision they made could change it completely.
In the end Between Spaces EP, lives up to its title and takes audiences on a journey of different phases with Alice Aera in the lead. From the good memories, breakdown in communication, indecisions and the eventual fallout, we are there to witness it all.