Day-New-Mwa - Hum

​Day-New-Mwa

​Hum 
self-released; 2016

3.3 out of 5

By Ted Rogen

Alyssa Angeles aka Day-New-Mwa is a solo musician from Minneapolis, MN, who just recently started to explore her musical creativity. In 2013 she began to play guitar and started writing songs a year later. Although there is undoubtedly a lot more she could learn when it comes to songwriting, guitar playing and singing I think she has some potential.

The vibe is consistent on her release Hum, which is softly played guitar with just as softly sung lyrics that are encased in a good dose of melancholy. Angeles strums basic chords and delicately sings. Her voice sounds fragile at times and not in a bad way. I was reminded of Mirah and a slew of other singer/songwriters types who have a similar approach to music.

The opener is indicative of what else you will hear on the album. The lyrics on this song deal with infatuation as opposed to love. She sings, “If effort was money I wouldn't even have a dime / And you'd be sitting on stacks 25 miles high / I don't wanna like you / I know you're no good for me / But there's something about how you carry yourself that appeals to me."

“Red Light” has almost the same exact vibe and energy as the opener. The one thing that changes is the lyrics and the fact she implements some vocal harmonies on this song. If there is a highlight amongst this batch of songs, which sound similar, it may go to “Would Have Been Nice.” The melody seemed to be a bit catchier and slightly more upbeat than on some of the other songs. 

​If Angeles continues to delve into her creativity as a musician she will most likely start to expand on her limited sound. I think that will ultimately be necessary if she hopes to build a large audience. That being said Hum is a solid offering in which Angeles will be able to look back as her humble beginnings.

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