Brighton’s Alfie Neale releases debut EP ‘If My World Falls Apart’

Brighton’s Alfie Neale has released his debut EP ‘If My World Falls Apart’ last week which sees the musician refine his pop and soul sensibilities.

The EP is the ICM Ones To Watch 2020 artists’ most ambitious project to date with James Berkeley of Brighton neo-soul/jazz outfit Yakul as the production genius.

‘If My World Falls Apart’ sees a further refinement of Alfie Neale’s indie pop and soul sensibilities, distilling a solid piece of work on which Neale reflects with honesty on the last two years of his life.

Alfie explains: “I think the general theme of ‘If My World Falls Apart’ is how we rely on other people. The title track is about how I have grown to realise the importance of having people around me, something I didn’t always appreciate.”

The five tracks all fall open like pages from a diary as Alfie invites you to walk alongside him, through the peaks and pitfalls of his life. ‘Elevator’ is about forgetting who you are for a night, waking up the next day and realising how important it is to hold on to the things in life that make you feel good and define you.

Next track ‘Vices’ alternates between carefree snapshots of daily life, observed from Neale’s time living with his best friends, and a sweeping, euphoric chorus in which Neale implores his nearest and dearest to “stay around so I can reach a higher ground”.

‘Alright’ sees Alfie sending himself up and there’s even a cheesy key change, just for the hell of it. “You need to take a lot of what I say with a pinch of salt,” he says. “The song is like the opposite of the story of how me and my girlfriend got together.

“I’m pretending that I’m some sort of smooth, loving guy when in reality I’m completely not.”

Final song ‘Stepping Stones’ is seductive silky and soulful disco stylings. Bringing the theme of the EP full circle, Alfie gives a nod of gratitude to the people who have had his back on his musical journey to date. ‘I’m so tired of painting pictures in your mind, why don’t we live it for a while?’ he asks; the confident sound of a man impatient for success while acknowledging that he can’t make it on his own.

‘If My World Falls Apart’ is the announcement of Alfie Neale’s arrival as an act to be seriously reckoned with. While his immediately recognisable vocal still shimmers with blue-eyed soul, this EP heralds a mature artist coming of age with his most coherent work to date.