Concert Review: Alice Phoebe Lou Gives Good Witch Energy At Rough Trade
Alice Phoebe Lou sang her new album, Paper Castles, to a crowd that felt pre-mesmerized by what she called her “good witch energy.” Packed with ladies and young couple, APL drew a crowd of spiritual intellectuals; a mass of people looking to her artistry not for love or even self-love. At Rough Trade, they wanted universal love; an observance of how this energy flows through “Galaxies” and “Nostalgia.”
After hearing Paper Castles, I expected Alice Phoebe Lou to come out in a space suit to discuss her cosmic philosophies. Yet, that was a crazy presumption. Instead, she walked out with a big smile and some tea. She was so giddy she kept on jumping in place, throughout the set, and dancing to rhythms that would make Anderson Paak or Kamasi Washington want to sample her music. The South African songstress is so sweet and eager to connect to her crowd as a woman.
From being sent unrequested, d*ck pics to getting a spiked drink at an Angel Olsen concert, Alice Phoebe Lou spoke about how invaded women can be: both physically and spiritually. When we discuss shame we make it sound like a “baton” a victimizer passes to his victim, but, to APL, it is like a seed of self-loathing they plant in you, of which the memory of their violation becomes its water. Tracks like, “Girl On An Island,” “Something Holy,” and “My Outside” spoke to APL’s fight to feel safe again in her own skin and space. Every person that has been violated by another understands that if they never love again, then their victimizer wins, but its not easy to not think the one man that hurts you does not represent the many that can.
Blessed with a voice that feels both ethereal and flowery, APL hits her notes like a rose trying to reach the sky. Her vocality is both soft and stealthy like, the rose’s stem sustains her notes. Moreover, she is such a grounded, witty personality that loves to laugh, but uses her music for the more serious notes in life. Thus, for her, to begin a song is to begin a meditation. She closer her eyes, sways her guitar, and envisions her voice like the voice of femininity itself; crying out for respect, peace, and equality. For More Information On Alice Phoebe Lou Click Here.
