Crafting the kind of swift, uplifting pop that seeks to “peel back the mask that humanity can so easily wear,” The Songery—a.k.a. singer/songwriter Alexandria Leon—boasts an avant-garde touch to her music. Her latest single “The Dark” is a budding, melodically enthused anthem to new beginnings—of which Leon herself appears to be on the cusp of. Back in 2016 Leon released her first album under her The Songery moniker, Second Adolescence, a whimsical ode to re-lived teenage years that mingled everything from Regina Spektor-esque piano-ballads to thumping-pop tunes. It was am enlivening and emotionally electric start for The Songery—and with her counting everyone from Sigur Ros, Nick Cave, Beethoven, and most film scores in her collection of inspirations—the result isn’t so surprising.
Leon might sound more refined, more assured of herself on “The Dark,” but she carries with her those same genre-bending sensibilities that filled her debut. From the moment the song begins—thrust forward on pattering percussion and Leon’s piercing cries—it whirlwinds from a folk-pop, foot-stomper into a variety of splendorous moments: from its choir-driven drop-off that gives Leon’s vocals center-stage to that brief interlude near the end where layered vocalizations fling back-in-forth in breezy gasps.
Dynamic and liberated, this is the sound of The Songery coming into her own—and what will follow will no doubt be something truly spectacular.
“The Songery is more than a persona. It is a call to arms, a spearhead signaling for spiritual awakening, symbolic of an ideology that the world seems to be lacking severely and yet constantly surrounds us,” Leon said of the name. “For this reason, my project is grounded in storyline, integrity, concept, and character. I feel very secondary- as if I am the one driving the car, and it’s my car… but I am not the car. The Songery is a name I feel very intertwined with, I feel it so perfectly encapsulates the whimsical world I strive to show people. I’m not quite there yet. I’m still developing, completely on my own, so it is a process…but I’ll get there.”
The Songery doesn’t have anything slated right now for release but keep your eyes peeled for new things in the future. For now you can catch her in an interview she’ll be doing with KX935 on Thursday and also streaming on Twitch twice a week. Visit her website and Facebook to stay updated on future releases and tour announcements.
