Premiere: Alyssa Darby Flutters With Assurance On Debut EP, Butterflies
Starting your music career with artistic confidence is no easy task. You spend years wrestling with the inspiration and influence swirling within your soul, trying to condense it down into a cohesive vision that has to find a balance between authenticity and familiarity. Add on the knotty subject of heartbreak, an emotional void of sureness and courage, and an arduous road appears ahead, littered with hazards and traps designed to drain one’s poise and gumption. For local singer-songwriter Alyssa Darby though, this uphill climb doesn’t diminish any of these traits — it boosts them, propelling her forward with a renewed sense of determination and resilience that results in a striking debut.
Butterflies is a seven-track pop declaration that masterfully captures the pure essence of romantic hope and promise while acknowledging the ruinous potential for heartache and grief. Overflowing with artistic prowess and emotional fortitude, Darby unpacks this passionate baggage through each song, transforming it all into a moving portrait resonating with authenticity and perseverance. Through it all, her musical voice rings clear and her personal heart beats strong thanks to the sly lyricism and crafty production so boldly envisioned. An elaborate EP to say the least, it’s a sonic journey through the labyrinth of love, seamlessly blending vulnerability with unwavering strength that can both stiffen a resolve and soften a temperament. Today, The Auricular is proud to premiere this sublime record with an exclusive stream one day before its release on Tuesday, December 12th
Darby sings with refined poise on this debut record, clearly worn down by the rigors of romance, yet unwaveringly captivated by the allure of that gilded pledge. This is not a record of heartbreak songs that are consumed with scorn or blinded by isolation. It’s an audit of past lapses in order to make sure future strides are made with a steadier gait. Darby’s vocals dance delicately with vulnerability, each note an introspective step through the labyrinth of love’s complexities. The lyrics, like pages from a well-worn diary, unfold tales of resilience rather than bitterness, and every refrain is a testament to the endurance of the human heart.
In “Time Machine,” Darby catches herself becoming lost in wallowing to the point of physical harm, slowly descending into a pit of regret and sorrow (“I keep catching myself holding my breath\ Hurting my neck looking back to the past“). Yet, right at the edge of the emotional precipice on the bridge, she confronts the harsh truth of the matter (“Time machines, they don’t exist at all“), summoning the emotional strength needed to break free from the downward spiral and muster the courage to move forward.
On “Insane,” the narrative delves into a comparable mindset, confronting the persistent reminders of a past relationship that linger in the world around. Each shared memory serves as a poignant reference to some dissipating dream, one that may still feel salvageable even in its unrecognizable state (“Cause I can’t seem to move on\ When my mind is still stuck on you\ So please get out of my head\ Because there’s too much left unsaid”). Darby approaches this mindset with a more focused cadence, matching the pulsating beat with a tenacious vocal melody that’s bolstered by rich harmonies in order to reflect the pursuit of emotional clarity.
This music follows suit within each song, stylistically similar but distinct enough to stand apart with its own counseling moral. “Loving You (From Afar)” matches the yearning lift with a subtle electronic melody that moves through the mix to impart pensive reflection and lifting optimism. “Congratulations” gives its biting tone a snappy rhythm, while decorating it with bright tones and vibrant harmonies that let you know that bitterness is not in control. “Yesterday” shines brightest among these musical gems, packing in a plethora of flowing hooks and leaning melodies into just 150 seconds of sublime pop expression that rises with each new promising musical phrase.
“Butterflies” brings everything together within the record, chasing the hope and promise of romance while still being weighed down by the possibility of agony and grief. The mix adds to the nuance with a persistent drum machine and enlightened string accompaniment that brings both refined shade and sharp glitter to the lifting harmonies. It’s realistic optimism, one imbued with profound emotion that doesn’t let it succumb to the lurking pitfalls of heartache. It’s an artistic representation of that famous fluttering feeling as well as the exhausting progression those fetching insects go through in order to be decoratively nimble. This sentimental insight doesn’t come easy, but the way Alyssa Darby portrays it is just as smooth as those delicate winged wonders, the ones that invite us to chase them again and again just like new love. No one knows what happens when we finally get our hands around it… but that’s not going to stop us from making choosing that chase again somewhere down the line.
Butterflies is out everywhere on Tuesday, December 12th, which you can pre-save now on Spotify and iTunes by clicking here. To keep up to date on all things Alyssa Darby, make sure to bookmark her website (click here) or follow her on Instagram and TikTok.
