Heartbreak, romance and elegance. Those are the tools of New York-based singer songwriter Alfonso Velez. To listen to his new self-titled record is to hear a number of influences mixing into one. There’s a Paul Simon softness and love of phrase, like in the gorgeous “Barcelona Birds”: “Barcelona birds are flying overhead / Cutting through the hues of blues, yellows and the reds … / I’ve been following the streets, the long and winding streets / Where shadows dance on walls, and women play in sheets.” Songwriting doesn’t get much stronger than that. It’s not just the sweet end-rhymes that make it beautiful, but rather how we get to see the world through Velez’ soft gaze. And what a view it is, as he catalogs a day of walking around, set to acoustic guitar strumming and a whirl of violin. There’s a bit of The Beatles in his music too, like in the piano-based “Funny”, a melodic track with warm strings about a cosmic journey to the end of time. The lone rock out, “Words”, shows Velez’s and his band’s dexterity. A distorted bass surprises amid his cascading vocal flights and super-charged bluesy piano chords and guitar. But the real gem is the Elliott Smith-like “Yer Blue Hair” about trying to get over a woman who has left and is with another man. The atmospheric guitar feels like a pained contortion of reverb. It’s stunning and moving. Velez caps it off with another awe-inspiring piece of songwriting, “I feel just like a Russian bear / All tangled up in your blue hair / I don’t know why I hold on so / Come on baby, let me go.” Apparently, “Russian Bear” is a nickname he was given in high school having arrived in the U.S. by way of Moscow. “Shadow Waltz” is a romantic and drowsy lullaby, Velez’s vocals unfolding with the utmost gentility. This is an album with endless charm. You can listen to and download his latest record for free at his bandcamp page. — David D. Robbins Jr.
Alfonso Velez “Yer Blue Hair”
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