Chris Alleyne

The voice is sweet, smooth, effortless.  It flows with the music, dropping to a whisper, rising to a shout, drawing the listener deeper into the song.  No matter how fresh-sounding it is (and it is), this is not the voice of a kid or a neophyte.  No, this is thoughtful, grown-up soul.  This is Chris Alleyne.
The London-born singer and songwriter answered the same call that moved so many of his contemporaries to grab a guitar and get in front of a microphone.  But until recently, this family man and father has been reluctant to go public with his dazzling songs.  Inspired by the birth of his child, Alleyne assembled a band and took to the studio, determined at last to share his vision with the world.  These tracks are the result of that initial session – and there’ll be many more to come.
The first thing that might strike an uninitiated listener about Chris Alleyne’s music is how unaffected it is.  These stories seem to proceed straight from the singer’s lived experience – they’re clear, honest, unadulterated, and worldly-wise.  Alleyne, an enormous fan of pop, is well-acquainted with the soul tradition – yet there’s something unmistakably modern about his productions, too.  He may have dodged the limelight for the past decade, but he’s got a history in the business: as a teenager, he performed with R&B combo First Class.   The sound of classic singers echo in his radio-ready performances: he can coast through a classic melody like Philippe Wynne of The Spinners, growl like D’Angelo, or croon like John Legend.  His is the sort of voice that the music industry is starved for: one that radiates optimism, charm, and quiet, understated power. 
As these tracks suggest, Chris Alleyne keeps his ear to the street.  He and his skilled band incorporate elements of blues, jazz, Eighties pop, and reggae into his sharply-written soul songs – and on track after track, he proves he can adapt his voice to music of all genres.  “The Way Things Used To Be” is a straight-up rocker, all electric guitar and crisp drums; “Missing You” is a smoldering ballad that builds to a lovelorn climax.  Alleyne cuts straight to the heart of both songs, foregrounding the essential soul in both approaches, never forgetting to be communicative and approachable.  But he saves his best, smokiest performance for the song that has become his calling-card: the gorgeous “Saturday’s Hero”. Here, Alleyne adds fiery electric guitar to the slinky groove, and lets the skyscraping six-string share top billing with his voice.  It’s a testament to the singer-songwriter’s confidence and flexibility, and a genre-busting hit in the making. 
These recordings capture the dynamism of Alleyne’s concert events.  The Chris Alleyne combo will be gigging around the New York metropolitan area this spring before heading back into the studio.  A full-length CD is in the offing; until then, these generous tracks stand as signposts; tantalizing hints of artistic directions to come.  One this is for certain: this voice is now here to stay.