Having grown up listening to classic rock and blues, I found Finding Alice’s new album Still Searching to be familiar yet refreshing. The Saugerties-based quartet released the record on June 5th–their second album, following their 2023 LP Mysterious Eyes. The band name is fitting as their sound commingles their ’60s psychedelic influences like Jefferson Airplane with soulful, gritty, Janis Joplin-esque vocals. They also seamlessly blend blues, country twang, Latin rhythms, and a hodgepodge of various rock subgenres. The album has a gratifying dynamic flow as the overarching eerie aura of the majority of the record is balanced out by the upbeat, feel-good songs interspersed throughout.
The band is composed of Meredith Wilson on lead vocals, piano, guitar, and harmonica; Michael Bundschuh on rhythm guitar, bass, and back-up vocals; Michael Gaylin on lead guitar; and Steven Thornton on back-up vocals and drums. Being that most of the members are multi-instrumentalists, the group keeps you intrigued with their fresh arrangements, creating a chameleonic soundscape laden with rich timbres and textures.
The record opens with the track “Flying,” introducing their signature spectral blues rock sound. Wilson playfully muses, “I haven’t got all the answers / I’m just faking it / And if you think I’m altogether / Well…I’ll take it.” I appreciate anyone who shares the sentiment of humility when it comes to epistemology. Never trust someone who thinks they’ve got it all figured out.
A sense of self-awareness is strewn throughout the LP. In “Happy Place,” Wilson sings, “Practiced with the band tonight / Worked on a new tune / Got a spot for harmonica / Made me think of you.” Sometimes it’s nice to just be straightforward and not ask the listener to dig through many layers of metaphor. Later in the album, Bundschuh takes lead vocals on “My Friend’s Band,” which is another song that keeps it simple in a meta sort of way. He sings, “Let’s get a few beers and forget about life awhile / …Let’s pretend like no one’s here and dance into our dreams.” Sounds pretty nice–I’m in. The song makes me feel like I’m at a BBQ sipping a cold, modest beer with friends, and, you know, just letting the good times roll.
My favorite track is “Night Madness,” the longest song on the album at almost seven minutes. The ambient, otherworldly vibe pulls you in. Wilson’s echoey, reverby vocals entrance you. Plus, I’m a sucker for the organ, especially when it’s used tactfully. And what would a classic blues rock band be without some mean riffs and soaring guitar solos?
Give the album a whirl and catch them live at one of their upcoming shows. Their CD release show is on August 15th at Pearl Moon in Woodstock, and you won’t want to miss it. Whether their music brings us to an old honky-tonk saloon, a laid-back summer BBQ, or a haunted cocktail lounge/piano bar, it’s all about the journey and not the end as we’re enthusiastically still searching with Finding Alice.
Finding Alice’s social and streaming links:
Buy the album on Bandcamp
-Review written by James Kwapisz
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