The album title is a little misleading since Alice Di Micele has been consistently going with the musical flow for over 30 years. With this release, she has 18 albums to prove her forward momentum and shows no sign of reaching for the reverse gear any time soon.
The Oregon based artist is older and wiser now but is plainly unfazed by the ageing process. In the opening song (I Wanna Love) she sings of survival and acceptance while “Honouring this feminine body that I’m blessed to live in.”
Di Micele is backed by a full band many of whom have been with her from the beginning of her career. The songs deal with the state of the planet and the need to fight hate and war.
Her debut album was called ‘Make A Change’ and that has been her ambition throughout. She creates music rooted in the natural world with the aim of helping others feel and heal.
Oh Humanity recognises how “selfishness and greed are so enticing” and that placing profit before people has dire consequences.
This is further illustrated in Falling Through The Cracks which laments how governments and institutions fail to give assistance to those burdened by homelessness, poverty and mental illness (“There’s no salvation in this land”).
The easy listening arrangements make these protest songs palatable so that the mood is one of regret rather than rage.
Having loved ones to provide comfort and support in these troubled times is celebrated in Bonafide and the spiritual sustenance from nature is the essence of the title track: “we’re still here on this sacred ground”.
