by ebb and by flow

Summer has arrived, and if you can’t feel the warm sun on your face, the grit and grime of sand in your feet and the splash of water as you float down the river, then you need to put the new album by Alice Di Micele into your CD player. Her first studio album in nine years, by ebb and by flow, conjures the passionate tones of Ani DiFranco and the rhythmic guitar skill of the Indigo Girls.

The album, conceived after years of river rafting and life on the water in Oregon, reflects scenes of water, sun and sky from the romping “Made Out of Water” to the haunting “Take Me Out on the Water.” Di Micele’s voice ranges from crystalline purity to gritty, dangerous tones, and her lyrics are often filled with knowing metaphor. Though some tunes can drag on and the theme can become redundant, overall the album provides outstanding background music to a tumultuous, event-filled summer season.

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