I Blossom While I Cry – Alexia Chambi

Music doesn’t have to be complicated, enhanced by gimmicks and gizmos, tricks and effects to make them stand out. That starts with a need to have a reason to pick up the guitar or put pen on paper.

Alexia Chambi has something to say, and she says it calmly, unadorned and spacious in arrangements. I hope the term easy listening isn’t seen as condescending or with negativity because that’s the term that came to mind after absorbing all four tracks on her debut EP, I Blossom While I Cry.

Written and composed by Alexia Chambi, the singers’ sonics are soothing, as she weaves harmonics of pop/folk music together with a gentle, soulful tone. This approach makes the EP opening, blood between my thighs, all the more sensitive, as she phrases this taboo subject with an inner strength behind her delicate tones. Even her expletives draw empathy instead of exclamation.

Catchy, handcrafted pop would be an accurate summary of If I could Choose, as she examines the complexity of regret and moving on. My favourite, ‘every time‘, possesses an excellent, engaging and detailed arrangement of chords, keys and horns. Similarly, Love Me Like you Love Her lays bare her vulnerability through her astute songwriting ability and sea-breeze melodies.

This EP doesn’t challenge speaker diaphragms, thump the floor, or reduce you to tears; indeed, a little more musical drama would have lifted the overall experience; instead, her vocals float and lyrics enthral with an endearing sincerity. I Blossom While I Cry is an EP you could listen to all day, and feel soulfully content in her ‘au naturel’ soundscapes.

See, it’s easy listening!