Alice Di Micele offers a pleasing flow of styles, attractive in any direction.

Release Date : 10th October 2025

Label : Alice Otter Music

Format : CD / Vinyl /Digital

JUST LISTEN

A name new to me, I am uncertain if she has ever troubled our shores, over here in the U.K. Now, however, wise to her word, it would be grand if she were able to. As is so often the case, the bio is one part helpful and one part not. Knowing she has been making music for some few years, with her debut in 1988 is all well and dandy, as is that she finds inspiration in the natural world. Nothing that unusual there, but few pursue that inspiration so far as to give up their musical career, 15 years in, becoming instead a Raft Guide, on Southern Oregon’s Rogue River. This she did for 7 years, ahead her return to show-biz. Yes, but what does she sound like? For that answer there is no alternative to actually listening.

RICH & STEAMY

I guess you may have popped down to the vid below to investigate that one, and, no, it isn’t quite what you expect. Which is exactly what drew me to her, a rich and steamy contralto, not a million miles from Tanita Tikaram, if a little rawer and more ragged. It is quite something, not least as she suddenly soars through the octaves. This is well shown in that featured song, I Wanna Love, also the opener to this record. A song around facing the jibes and expectations around how a woman should look and behave, and to love yourself regardless: “I was taught from the time I was a little girl, this body would never be good enough, good enough, no. Now I’ve spent enough time here in this world to know this body’s more than good enough, oh“.

The verses go on to prove all the capabilities she requires of herself, and from a strummed start, the song gradually builds into a regular old chug of an anthem. Organ swirls, from Decemberist, Jenny Conlee-Drizos and the guitar, bass and drums of her regular band, the aptly named Force Of Nature add a potent backdrop. Just when you think it can’t get any more dramatic, the guitarist, Andy Casad, peels out a viscerally shredding solo, both unexpected and most welcome.

NO FLUKE

Showing this no fluke, the psychedelic jangle of One Little Word weaves an instant earworm melody, and follows, the acerbic lyric somewhat at odds with the meandering sonic line. It doesn’t tell us the word, but it isn’t hard to guess, from the narrative. It’s a plea for acceptance. I’m feeling upstate Oregon may not be an easy place to be LGBTQ. As Falling Through The Cracks cranks in, it is clear that attempts to make too early a genrification of Di Micele won’t work. Very much in the vein of James McMurtrey, this is a sturdy rocker, built on the no nonsense scaffold laid down by the band, with a damning hit in the chorus, magnified by the soaring gospel harmonies of multi-tracked Di Miceles. More scorching guitar nails it.

These harmonies remain in place for the piano and guitar led The Mystery. If you are not yet seduced by her voice, go back and start again. Strings come in, fiddle, viola and cello, to add no small gravitas and lustre. But she’s not letting you classify her yet, with Springtime (Here We Go) now evoking the commercial style of a young Joni Mitchell: think a less annoying Big Yellow Taxi, if with the voice of the older Mitchell, 20 years later. It is Sarah DeVallière who provides the effervescent Bruce Hornsby-esque jazz-tinged piano, and it’s great, as is Rob Kohler, swapping from electric to acoustic bass for this one.

I’M CONVINCED

A more sombre moment comes with Oh Humanity, an almost hymn, berating mankind for our follies, but resignedly, rather than in any other way. Kohler’s stand-up is a boughy, bendy constant and the acoustic instrumentation forms a perfect setting as Di Micele spells out some simple wisdoms. Whether you are still pondering the merits of her voice or not, and, at this stage, you shouldn’t be, nonetheless, play this one twice. Or even more times. Me, I’m entirely convinced by her voice, but just wanted to keep on hearing this song.

I don’t think we have yet had a slow gospel blues, which is what Bonafide is: “Look around this world, it’s crazy, nothing makes sense anymore.” Piano and organ combine in the way they only can. It’s true, the words are, uncharacteristically, a little trite, but they fit the pleading vocal timbre. The Force Of Nature, Kohler, Casad and the drums of Nick Kirby are spot on for this, with Casad peeling off another scorching solo, this time with more economy of style. The Ghost Of Alice has all the feel of an Appalachian murder ballad, crossed with Bob Dylan’s Long Black Coat. Guest, Darrol Anger, contributes some suitably saturnine screeches of fiddle and it could be a late favourite.

CAREFULLY PRODUCED SHIFTING SOUNDSCAPE

Only the title track remains. At around 38 minutes, this isn’t a long album, yet, oddly, and in a good way, courtesy the shifting soundscape, seems much longer. That all these variations hang on in there must be down, in some part, to the careful production of Bret Levick, who lets each individual player exert their individual presence, without taking focus away from the warmth of the vocals, or the words therein. Reverse The Flow is, like many here, addressed at the planet, but offers a more positive stance, despite the runes being cast in the corridors of power. As she repeats “we are still here on this sacred ground“, with her belief that it will be the continuance of small kindnesses that will prevail. Even the jaunty beat feels hopeful. Lovely vocal refrains carry the song, and the album, to a pleasing close.

I like this record. I may not have heard of her before, but that is now remedied. Your turn, now. So, here’s the opener, but you know that already, yes?

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