The album opens with its title track, "New Alchemy," which has a nice, bright pop energy at its start, fitting for the excitement of new love. "Call it science, call it art." Eleese and Matthew sing the lyrics together, which is perfect. Isn't life at its best when you experience it as a duet? "There's something I can't quite explain/About the way you make me feel/It's the sacred and profane/It's what's true and still surreal/Is it all in my mind, all in my mind, all in my mind." I love how the sound of this track captures that delicious feeling of beginning to fall in love. This song contains a nice section where the focus is fully on their vocals, their voices supported by a steady pulse on drums. Michael Urbano plays drums on this track. A different version of this song was released several years ago. Then "Montreal" has more of a folk vibe at the start, their voices supported by guitar, giving the track a more intimate sound and feeling. "Out here amongst the stars/People spilling from the bars/And it's so cold we can see our breath." I love how the word "breath" has just a bit more breathy delivery, a lighter delivery. This is a beautiful song, and though it takes place in Baltimore, it reminds of a certain night in Boston, one winter day when I met the love of my life. And everything opened up while also simultaneously narrowing the focus to just the two of us. And feeling like we're in another place, like the world is different. "But our dreams shine brighter than the moon/And we won't let this world defeat us/So let 'em know we're coming soon." Kyle Caprista plays drums on this one.
Eleese sings lead at the beginning of "Next Best Thing." Here are the opening lines: "Am I who you wanted, or just what you need/To help you forget someone who haunts your dreams/We have a connection, one I think could last/But not if your heart is still somewhere in the past." Ah, no one wants to be just the next thing. In song, it's all about true love. And in life, it should be too, right? Halfway through the track, Matthew takes over on lead vocals, so we hear from both people in the relationship. And together they ask, "How can we know for sure?" I love the way this song builds. It has a wonderful sound, a sort of pop magic, featuring some nice work on keys. Both James DePrato and Jebin Bruni are on keys for this one. Jim Bogios is on drums. Then KP Hawthorn (of The HawtThorns) joins them on acoustic guitar on "Precious Days." Matthew sings lead at the beginning of this one, and Eleese joins him on the lines, "Time is not on our side/Now we're both on the other side of twenty-nine/And, baby, won't you take my hand/These are precious days that we're wasting." As I get older, I am more and more aware of any time that is wasted, and time spent away from that special person often feels like time wasted. This song also contains some delightful work by Jebin Bruni on keys and a really good beat. Michael Urbano is on drums. These lines also stand out to me, perhaps because I'm here in L.A. while my love is on the east coast: "There's a place high above Los Angeles/Where people walk their dogs and lovers go to kiss/I went there by myself, though I'm not sure what for/Oh, but when I got there, it just made me want you more/Made me want you more." I love this song. It has such a great, positive feel to it, and ends with them singing, "Oh, these are precious days." Perfect.
"I want to fall right into your open arms tonight/Like a fool who's finally found their paradise," Matthew sings at the beginning of "Wedding Rice." Soon Eleese joins him, and together they sound so sweet, so pretty. And she takes a turn singing those opening lines. There is an optimistic and gentle vibe to this song, and their voices are full of love, which can't help but make us feel it too. The opening lines are sung again toward the end, this time Matthew taking the first line and Eleese taking the second. Etienne Franc is on upright bass, and Jim Bogios is on drums. That's followed by "Company We Keep." Some rather playful and yet sweet "doo doo doo" vocal work at the beginning helps set the cheerful tone. Also, the presence of banjo helps in that direction. James DePrato plays banjo. "Blame it on the new company we're keeping/Blame it on the one who's been keeping us from sleeping/You can see it in our eyes/That learning curve is steep/And you can blame it on the new company we're keeping." Yes, it's a song about a baby. "Who are these people that we've become?" Ted Pecchio is on bass, and Darren King is on drums. There is more of that "doo doo doo" vocal work near the end. And you know everything is just fine, regardless of a lack of sleep and not getting out to the bars.
It is interesting how as the album continues, we can't help but think it follows the course of a single relationship from the beginning to the arrival of a child, and now into problems with "Hold Fast." Eleese begins this one on vocals: "I never thought that I would see the day/Ten years on since we first met/To think we might just throw it all the way/With incriminations and epithets." When Matthew comes in, they both sing, "Do you think we can hold on, make it through the night/Do you think we can stop pretending one of us is going to win the fight." The vocal work is particularly beautiful on the song's title line, especially the way Eleese reaches some higher, lighter places. And it is that very vocal work that gives us hope that they can hold fast, and hope for the rest of us too. Kyle Caprista plays drums on this track. Then "Raise The Shade" is a fun one, with a good, positive energy. Sarah Aili joins them on backing vocals. "Let's make a deal and only play love songs/The ones that make you feel and rock it like Chaka Khan/Because it's been far too long that we've been feeling blue." Those are interesting lines, when all the songs on this album are love songs, in as much as they're all about love, about a relationship. This track features a good lead on electric guitar. Matthew Szlachetka plays guitar on this track. Jimmy Wallace is on keyboards, and Darren King is on drums. "Watch the sunlight make the room glow." This music itself seems to have that ability, that power. There is a glow to this music.
"Moving Song" features a really nice rhythm. Darren King is again on drums. Both KP Hawthorn and Sarah Aili provide backing vocal work here. "And I don't care where I reside/I got my baby by my side." I've been thinking about this a lot lately. Can we be happy wherever we are, just so long as we are together? I love the optimistic, positive bent of this song, the excitement that is in their voices as they sing, "It's a trip when you're crossing the state line/Moving fast because we're running, running out of time." And that's something else I can't help but think of: time, and how it moves much too quickly, and there's just too little of it. Matthew then begins "Eurydice": "I'm tired of being worried/And I'm worried that I'm tired all the time/I'm always in a hurry/But somehow I'm still so far behind." Those opening lines certainly speak strongly to me. Eleese soon joins him. "And you can have my heart/But you have to take me too." This is an excellent song. I love how it takes on a good energy. It feels true, it feels important. By the way, the first time I listened to this disc, I had just seen a production of Antigone, so when I looked at the track list I was thinking of that Eurydice, the wife of Cleon. But this song is related to that other famous Eurydice, the wife of Orpheus. You know, the tale where he is allowed to rescue her from underworld, as long as he doesn't look back at her. "Don't look back for me, because I don't want to be/I don't want to be your Eurydice/It's an act of faith, it's a test of trust/And in those times when I can't keep up/I promise that I'll always be right behind you."
"Younger Us" has a sweet folk vibe, and features some nice harmonies. "After all these years, it's still hard to know/If we're hanging on or letting go." This is a song that asks, "What would the younger us say?" I imagine there are many folks who understand that question. Matthew Szlachetka is on guitar, Mitchell Cardenas is on bass, Jimmy Wallace is on keys, and Darren King is on drums. The album concludes with "Someone Else." "If I didn't love you, then I would be someone else." That's a strong opening line. I think we all get it. How can we imagine not loving our significant others? We would have to be someone else. This track features some wonderful work on strings by Alisa Rose. Nat Gleason is on both keys and electric guitar. This song touches on the fear of forgetting in old age. To forget that person you love is terrifying. That would be the worst aspect of suffering from Alzheimer's. Life is so short as it is, and to have your life taken away before you die is a horrible fate. "I can see the reflection in your eyes of who I am and who I'm supposed to be." This is a remarkable album. I'm looking forward to hearing more from these guys.
CD Track List
- New Alchemy
- Montreal
- Next Best Thing
- Precious Days
- Wedding Rice
- Company We Keep
- Hold Fast
- Raise The Shade
- Moving Song
- Euydice
- Younger Us
- Someone Else
A New Alchemy is scheduled to be released on July 24, 2026 on Mule Kick Records.
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