Alicia Blue: “Inner Child Work” (2022) CD Review

Alicia Blue is a singer and songwriter based in Los Angeles. She started out writing poetry, then after getting a guitar, began setting her words to music. It wasn’t long before she had written a good amount of material. She released her first EP in 2019, and followed it with a full-length album, Bravebird, in 2020. Now she has a new EP out. Titled Inner Child Work, this disc features original material. Joining Alicia Blue on this release are Ben Greenberg on lead guitar and backing vocals, Ryan Ladd on bass, Jason Goldstein on keys, and Max Meizlish on drums.

The disc opens with “Don’t Tell Me To Smile,” which is the song that initially drew me to this release. Check out these lines: “I’ve been acting like a child/You should try it once in a while/So don’t tell me to smile/I’m not your puppet/Hanging on your silly string.” The strength and attitude and honesty remind me a bit of early Liz Phair combined with Amy Rigby and a dash of Dar Williams. “Know that sometimes the sun’s not going to shine/So don’t tell me to smile/No point in faking it.” It’s crazy that it needs to be said, but it does, and Alicia Blue says it so well. This is an excellent song. Toward the end of the disc, there is a second version of this song, this one labeled “Clean.” So far as I can tell, just one word is missing, and it’s kind of jarring, the way there is space where the word should be. Just play the regular version (fuck the FCC).

“Saline Waters” is a powerful and striking song. Here are the opening lines: “Walking on white sand with my best friend/Talking about when it’s all gonna end/Laughing when we realized it was bones, not sand/Skeletons taking up a piece of dry land.” Those lines grab hold of us and let us know we are not being handed the usual fare, as this pop song immediately takes us into darker territory. This song also mentions Joni Mitchell’s “Circle Game,” one of my favorite songs (and one that always makes me sad): “Listening to ‘Circle Game’ for a year/The friendliest version of bad news you’ll hear.” “Saline Waters” is followed by “Dog Days Of LA.,” a song that mentions walking the canyons of Los Angeles, which of course also makes me think of Joni Mitchell. Plus, this song has more of a folk vibe. It features a heartfelt and moving vocal performance. “And still we call it beautiful/When the sunset meets the smog/And still I say that I’m doing well/Even when I’m not.” I think all of us in Los Angeles are in touch with that feeling. This song perfectly captures what many of us experience in this city. This is my personal favorite track of the EP.

“Fine” begins on guitar. Here is a taste of the lyrics: “You can run and hide, but I’m still on your mind/I cannot deny that you’ll give me a better life/I could waste your time and say I’m doing fine.” The song suddenly kicks in with a delicious pop force. “I just need a little time, take a little off my back.” Alicia Blue then changes gears with “Dirty Hippie,” which begins with a strong beat and is seriously catchy. “I don’t want to fight, what’s so dirty about that?/You can be right and stay on my side of the tracks/I get you, why don’t you get me?/A little space is all I’m asking.” Another line that stands out for me is, “You walk around senseless with your gun ready to shoot,” briefly addressing a major problem in this country. The disc ends with a second version of “Dirty Hippie,” this one labeled “Clean.” Honestly, I didn’t even notice the one offending word the first time I listened to this disc, but now I hear it louder in its absence. Again, just go with the regular version. Also, it’s 2022; can we really not say “shit” on the radio? Crazy.

CD Track List

1. DTMTS (Don’t Tell Me To Smile)
2. Saline Waters
3. Dog Days In LA
4. Fine
5. Dirty Hippie
6. DTMS (Don’t Tell Me To Smile) – Clean
7. Dirty Hippie – Clean

Inner Child Work was released on July 15, 2022 through Magnetic Moon.