Ever see the episode of “Friends” when Phoebe almost loses her gig at Central Perk to The Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde?
That’s kind of what Louise Aubrie has going on in “Time Honoured Alibi.” A concoction of eight ballads and rock tracks, she travels the emotional gamut with guitar-powered tunes that prove her more than modest storytelling ability. Regardless of if she’s in a lower East side coffee house or a slimy alphabet city bar, this English transplant is never out of place.
Every song on the album has a familiarity to it. They’ll all remind you of a place, time or even another song. The acoustic guitar work in “Circuits” is reminiscent of the early work of Jewel and feels like an open letter to love itself. Like poetry, Aubrie uses repetition to define the mood, while the silky guitar track coaxes the listener into comfort. Vocally, it’s a highlight on the album. The change of pace from the “1.2.3.4†in the second verse, to the soothing “I’ll always be in love” build up to the chorus, is masterfully and beautifully arranged. Mixed by Cam Blackwood at Voltaire Road Studios in London (Cee Lo Green and Florence and the Machine) and mastered by Dave Collins Audio in Los Angeles, former Chief Mastering Engineer of A&M Studios, the attention to detail on “Time Honoured Alibi†is definitely there.
Aubrie proves however that she’s more than a mush. Tracks the likes of “Keep it Coming” “Where are You” and “Seams” have more grit to them and make her sound more like an ’80s rocker. The change in timbre is a refreshing one and keeps the listener on their toes. While her more melancholy tracks are solid, had all eight songs been this way, the album would have been geared more for depressed teenage girls. The way it stands now, the album has plenty of track diversity and flavor.
The songstress hurts herself at times during the album however. Although her voice is undoubtedly British and unique, some of the tracks feature too much sing-talk and not enough sing-sing. It goes hand in hand with her poetic lyrical style, but had she possessed a song on the album that was more vocally oriented and less balanced, she could have strutted her stuff a bit more.
In spite of a few blemishes, this album is a journey. Aubrie puts a guitar strap around her heart and let’s it tell a story. It’s a bit raw, but anything real always is. The technical mastery in the studio, from the hand claps and other bells and whistles don’t take away from the message. In a way, they refine it and polish. Although there isn’t one amazing track that separates itself from the rest on “Time Honoured Alibi,” there isn’t a lemon in the lot. Old school, gritty, but endearing post-punk rock with even a taste of rock-a-billy and folk, the album is best enjoyed as a whole experience, rather than a singular endeavor.
Check out a video for “Where are You” below:
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