Listen to AllegrA’s self-titled debut ahead of their record release show

AllegrAannounced their new LP just a few weeks ago, but with enough time for quite a bit of excitement to build. The solo project of former Yes Yes A Thousand Times Yes bassist Allegra Eidinger, AllegrA released their first EP a year ago and returned recently with a few singles from the new album, “My Pillow is My Punching Bag” and “I’m An Introvert” (which has a delightful video to go along with it). After moving back to their native Philly after a few years in Pittsburgh, they’ve been previewing the new tunes at shows around town — including an appearance at Weller’s record release gig last weekend — and now we can treat our ears to the LP in full.

Self-described genre-wise as “basement pop,” the 11-track album is full of bright and shimmering songs that, under their polished and energetic sheen, honestly and astutely address some very real anxieties. AllegrA opens with the two previously-shared singles, which tackle social anxiety and intense frustration, before moving into new and equally emotionally-steeped territory. The songs throughout the record offer brief vignettes and vivid illustrative narratives that lend a personal edge to their gentle vulnerability. The slowed-down and contemplative “Trapeze” is a standout at the middle of the record, addressing the difficulty of articulating one’s feelings — “Poetry is only easy when you’ve danced on a trapeze,” Eidinger sings.

Eidinger expertly balances laid-back positivity with poignant emotional and existential depth, continuing steadily from the metaphor-packed “You Remind Me of a Plant” to short and self-aware “Match My Pace.” Lest you start to become absorbed in the soft and catchy melodies and Eidinger’s warm and enveloping vocals, lines like “I started drinking my coffee black / trying to get my life back on track” (“Room for Cream”) make you pause and tune in more closely — it’s hard not to find yourself somewhere among AllegrA‘s thoughtfully in-tune outlook on life.

AllegrA plays a record release show on Nov. 17 at Planet Phitness with Tombo Crush and Snake Boy Gang. Find more information here.

AllegrA is out now on Sad Cactus Records. Listen below via Bandcamp.