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Alice DiMicele – Swim

label: SELF RELEASED

From the moment that B3 swooped in on the first cut, I didn’t just like this album, I loved it. Her groove-oriented folk touches on a lot of different styles without feeling scattered, with band members who’ve worked with everyone from Leftover Salmon to Ray Charles. Her expressive multi-octave voice can dip into a register so low you’ll swear your speakers are vibrating and she can hit the high notes, too, like early Joni Mitchell pumped up to eleven. “Soul Fly Free” is an uplifting acoustic cut with a heart of R&B. There’s a cool percussive guitar on “Open Road.” It also features lively fiddle from Darol Anger. DiMicele tells a compelling story of an organic farmer in “Old Life Back” and “Inside” is about how the spirit lives on even if the body is gone; there’s a beautiful trumpet (or flugelhorn) on it. “Schoolhouse” is a love song to the Klamath River. The title cut has a stellar funk-infused rhythm section and some great advice – instead of waiting for your ship to come in, learn to swim. She brings it back down with “This Love,” beautifully done with a delicately fingerpicked guitar and cello. I love this album. You will too. — JA

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