I love it when a middle-eastern flair is poured into American music; that minor key twist and immediately recognizable touch always adds weight and soul to the music. In her new EP “Be in Love”, Amanda Abizaid really lets her Lebanese half shine through to her songwriting and pulls the audience in with her distinctly beautiful voice. Released in October of last year, the album has a soft, soothing quality to it that meshes itself with sudden bouts of intensity to pull at your heart strings the whole way through.
From the first song, “Be In Love Again”, the pace of the EP is set. She leads the whole way with her enchanting voice and the gentle music accompanies her vibe with soft percussion, gentle strings, and relaxing piano. Then, a restful horn pops in to fill the song out with just the right touch. “Blue Sky” and “I Remember Her Love” come next and they are a perfect exhibition of the Lebanese influence in Amanda Abizaid’s songwriting style. “I Remember Her Love” in particular just makes you want to close your eyes and sway your head to the cadence of her voice, even when she sings in Arabic and you’re not sure exactly what she’s saying, because you know it’s something beautiful and comforting.
“This Woman Stays” impressed me in a whole different way than the rest of the album. Yes, I enjoyed the music and, as with the whole EP, Amanda Abizaid’s voice is haunting and graceful, but the beauty of the lyrics and the message of the song pushed themselves to the forefront in my mind. “The world moves on, but this woman stays.” Pay special attention to what’s being said the whole way through when you’re listening to this track. It’s worth it.
The two bonus tracks at the end of the album are also a welcome addition. The remix of “Blue Sky” lets us see an interesting interpretation of the song and I liked listening to the original and the remix back to back. I’m not sure which I like more, but I know that the percussion in this song is my favorite on the whole album. Finally, I really appreciate that Amanda Abizaid threw in the instrumental to “Be in Love Again.” It’s a great chill track to just sit back and listen to while you’re contemplating something heavy.
This is a great EP for a relaxing night when you’re just sitting back with a drink or curled up with a book and want a calm backdrop to fill out the ambiance. You can listen to the whole thing on bandcamp or on Amanda Abizaid’s website (all linked below, of course) before you buy it, and for a measly $6, why wouldn’t you.
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