For my latest edition of Fresh New Tracks, I’m thrilled to feature new songs by four confident, talented and lovely ladies with exquisite singing voices – Spanish and now England-based singer-songwriter and guitarist Alba, English singer-songwriter and musician A. Wake, Welsh singer-songwriter, musician and actress Caitlin Lavagna, and Malaysian singer-songwriter and visual artist Lyia Meta. I’ve previously written about A. Wake, Caitlin Lavagna and Lyia Meta, whereas Alba is new to me.
ALBA – “Are you really free?”
Alba is a singer-songwriter and guitarist who was born and raised in Spain, and began her musical career in her teens as front woman for Spanish band Sons of Rock. After relocating to London in 2016, she began recording and performing as a solo artist. She released her debut single “Lucky” in 2018, and has since followed with a number of singles. She also cares deeply about the environment and uses her music to make a difference and shed light on social and climate issues important to her.
On June 14, Alba released her debut EP Questions Unanswered, a concept work featuring four tracks, each of which poses a question on themes such as identity, purpose, relationships and social issues. In an interview with Marc Schuster for his blog Abominations, she explained “The idea was not necessarily to provide answers, but to invite the listener to reflect and engage with these questions on a deeper level to find their own answers. At the same time, this EP contains a little bit of everything in my musical palette. I’ve included undertones of R&B, pop, soul, rock, funk, latin, reggae and jazz, which I think should appeal to a wide audience.” Here’s my favorite track, the soulful “Are you really free?“, which features lyrics in both English and Spanish. Alba will be performing the EP at a release party in London on July 13 at the Old Blue Last, and a subsequent release party at Ateneo Cafe Universal in Burgos, Spain, on August 13.
Alba’s Socials: Facebook / X / Instagram / TikTok
A WAKE – “Like The Sun”
A.Wake (short for Anita Wake) is a fascinating and innovative singer-songwriter and musician based in Sheffield, England who’s been actively making music for several years, both as a member of several bands (in which she played bass and sang backing vocals) and, more recently, as a solo artist. With a passionate interest in sound therapy, mysticism and the healing properties of music, she seeks to incorporate healing frequencies and modern music elements into her beautiful songs. Beginning with the release of her enchanting debut single “Lemuria” in July 2022, she’s since followed with several more singles, as well as her The Seed – Root Chakra Remix EP in April 2023, which I reviewed.
Today she returns with a mesmerizing new single “Like The Sun“, in which she’s embedded Crown chakra and Binaural frequencies to enhance creativity, serotonin boost and focus. A. Wake wrote the lyrics and co-wrote the music with fellow Sheffield musician Rob Cohen, and the track was mixed by Dave Sanderson. I love the mysterious and cinematic Eastern feel of the music and A. Wake’s beguiling atmospheric vocals. The beautiful video was created by Cohen using stock imagery and footage.
A.Wake Socials: Facebook / X / Instagram / TikTok
CAITLIN LAVAGNA – “Pretty Alright”
My favorite Welsh songstress is Caitlin Lavagna, who since the release of her marvelous debut single “How Not To Start A Fight” in 2021, has consistently put out an unbroken stream of outstanding singles. I adore Caitlin’s vibrant and sophisticated vocal style and honest, relatable lyrics drawn from personal experiences and heartache, and have liked every one of her songs. I’ve written about nearly all of them, most recently this past April when I reviewed her previous single “Gold”, which has spent the past nine weeks and counting on my personal Top 30 chart. “How Not To Start A Fight” and her next single “Night Bus” also appeared on my Top 30, the latter spending 20 weeks and peaking at #2, finishing at #28 on my 100 Best Songs of 2023 list.
Now she’s back with a terrific new single “Pretty Alright“, an uplifting song Caitlin says is “about breaking the cycle of negative thoughts that many of us feel about ourselves. It’s about overcoming self-doubt and body image issues, and understanding your bad habits and emotional trauma.” The song was co-written by Caitlin and Mark Liam Owens, produced by Alex McArthur, mixed by Joe Rodwell and mastered by Nick Lewis at Old Cottage Audio. The song has a bit of a retro 60s vibe, but with a fresh and exciting arrangement. I especially love the powerful driving rhythms, lush instrumentation, as well as Caitlin’s always commanding vocals and exuberant choruses.
Caitlin’s Socials: Facebook / X (Twitter) / Instagram / TikTok
LYIA META – “Easier and Easier”
One of my favorite female vocalists and all-around artists is Malaysian singer-songwriter Lyia Meta, an immensely talented and gracious recording artist with a marvelous singing voice. Based in Kuala Lumpur and of Creole Portuguese ancestry, Lyia’s a multi-faceted artist in every sense of the word. With her smoky contralto vocal style, she can literally sing just about anything and in fact, has recorded songs in a wide range of genres including blues, jazz, pop, country, rock and even metal, bringing her international recognition and acclaim. A prolific artist, she’s released an impressive amount of music over the past eight years, beginning with her debut EP This is Lyia in 2016. Since then, she’s put out two more EPs an album Always You in 2023, and scores of singles, many of which I’ve featured on this blog, most recently last March when I reviewed her wonderful cover of the Beatles classic “All My Loving”.
On July 5th, Lyia released her latest single “Easier and Easier“, a lovely but bittersweet adult contemporary song addressing the end of a relationship. The song was written by her frequent collaborator, Los Angeles-based songwriter Denise Dimin, and co-produced by Lyia and her frequent collaborators, Nashville-based musician and recording engineer Bob McGilpin, who played guitar, bass and drums and Gene Rabbai, who played the soothing orchestral arrangement of piano and strings. As with most of Lyia’s songs, “Easier and Easier” was recorded remotely, with music recorded at both McMusicSound in Nashville and Studio A in Rio de Janiero, Brazil, and her vocals recorded at Big A Productions in Kuala Lumpur. I love the song’s warm piano, lilting strings and jazzy horns, along with Lyia’s signature rich vocals that express a sense of sad resignation as she sings “Each time you leave, it gets easier and easier to let you go.” The song will be included on her upcoming second album NEXT, to be released July 26th.
ECLECTIC MUSIC LOVER 