About AlonA *City Free Digital Download Available NOW on SongPlanet.net!*

:Candice: slacov, ratiug
:Ed: ssab, xovgb
:Rob: smurd
:Brian: ratiug

The emotional core of singer/songwriter Candice AlonA was first heard on her captivating six-track debut EP, Maelstrom, as it navigated an intense, musical minefield through a story of tumultuous love and all of the complex emotions that came with it. Candice is now excited to be releasing her second AlonA EP, City Free, which finds the artist moving past much of the frustration and turmoil evident on Maelstrom into a new stage of exhilaration and promise. Mixed and mastered by Jay Frigoletto (India.Arie, INXS and Blondie) City Free is slated for an Internet-only release in late June followed by a traditional release in Fall 2008.

While AlonA's debut EP, Maelstrom, dove deep into melancholy and rage over dysfunctional romance, City Free plays true to its title, revealing a refreshing sense of freedom from leaving the past behind. Candice AlonA stripped down the recording and producing side for this release by writing and producing with one collaborator instead of a full band and a separate producer. With the collaborative skills of local musicians, friend and up-and-coming French-born producer/songwriter Gyom, City Free was written and recorded in its entirety out of his home project studio. "It was a full collaboration on the songwriting," she offers, "but he is totally responsible for all production and those instruments played on all the rock songs."

Conceptually, Candice calls City Free "a purposeful departure from Maelstrom in multiple ways," but a common thread is her bold and confident vocals, which drive these songs. There is a sense of freedom and elation in the exuberant "City Free," which Candice reveals is "more a testament to a feeling than any specific occurrences." Call it what you will: a step from the darkness into the light, an escape or a new beginning – this song launches an astounding sophomore effort.

The singer/songwriter-style pop of "Fade to Black" provides a pivotal moment of self -rediscovery – a statement to the absolute end of the tumultuous space Candice experienced during the period that she wrote the songs on Maelstrom. "The lyrics talk about the relationship like a metaphor for a "sad movie scene," she explains, "and how it's come time for a recasting and new direction in the plot." Lines like "I'm OK as long as you're far away," provide some of the EP's best lyrical hooks.

"Weightless" – a song Candice calls, "an anthem for those who dare to take the road less traveled," is reminiscent of the melancholy melodies present on Maelstrom but reworked from the bitter and angry end into an almost celebratory, "sad but happy" and melodically passionate about it kind of emotional pop. "Weightless" is one of the best songs I feel I've written stylistically", says Candice. "As far as an overall aim for sound, it lands right in the center."

The EP's final track, "Skyscraping" introduces a collaborative side project, The Ebony Bed which features Candice, producer K-Murdock (of Panacea), and graphic designers Aaron Hill and Chris Vanderhoof. "Skyscraping" embodies a chill feel with urban flavors courtesy of K-Murdock's smooth production set against Candice's vocals. This ambitious track recalls the remixes from Maelstrom and again shows AlonA to be an artist of exceptional talent and vision who cannot easily be pigeonholed into one genre.

As Candice seeks to assimilate all facets of her music and her life, she pursues dual passions: while actively immersing herself in music, she is also pursuing a doctorate in Clinical Psychology. "These two realms naturally intersect for me," Candice explains. "Lyrically, music provides both an emotional release and an emotional safe haven. I've always been an introspective and socially observant person. Songwriting is just another part of psychology and vice versa for me. They are both huge parts of who I am."

AlonA performs frequently in the DC/Maryland area, sometimes with the full band but just as often with Candice accompanied only by her guitarist. "I love to get more intimate with the microphone in ways you can't do with a full band," she explains. "I think it's easier to connect that way." Clearly Candice AlonA has barely begun to plum the depths of her potential as a vocalist, songwriter, musician and recording artist. For more information on AlonA, please visit her website at www.alonaband.com.

- Gail Worley
Rock Critic At Large