By Jade Gatling

“Marigold” is the latest album to be released by Alex Isley (“Good and Plenty”) with backup vocalist and producer Jack Dine (“Love Again”). The album may be one of their most ambitious releases yet. The album takes an interesting turn, capitalizing on her musical strengths. 

Named after a beautiful flower, “Marigold” explores many emotions. 

“It’s a lot of reflecting on this album,” Isley shared during an interview with Rated R&B. “This album reflects memories, some pleasant and some not so pleasant. I hope there’s an inspiration. I hope there can be healing or encouragement. I hope that it’s something that adds to the listener’s life.

The album was strong but poses many questions about when Isley will show intense growth as an artist. 

The first song on the album is “Such a Thing,” which teleports the listener into “Too Bad I Forget,” the next song. Isley sings over smooth melodies and an indie guitar. Her voice overpowers the guitar during the bridge of the song. This does not appear to be a problem until she covers Dine’s voice. 

“Such a Thing” is objectively a well-written and produced song. During the first minute of the track, Isley’s daughter quietly talks in the background. It does a good job of welcoming the listener to the atmosphere of the music. However, it should have been located in the middle of the album. 

“Still Wonder” reveals how Isley feels after her romantic relationships. It also shows the chemistry between her and Glasper as their voices cross one another over a smooth instrumental.

“Square Zero” is one of the upbeat tracks on the album. The lyrics are very heavy and conversation-based. It makes the listener wonder who she was referring to when creating the song. 

The song is left up for interpretation, not only with its message, but also, its vocals. Isley’s voice is extremely reverberated while singing. It creates an effect of euphoria and sadness at the same time. 

Midway through the album is “Under the Moon,” which is a relatable song in a lot of ways. Isley talks about loving her partner so much that she wants to go into space with them. Although this is a very weird concept she is vulnerable and honest as she sings. 

The second to last track is titled “Still Wonder” and features Robert Glasper (“Freeze Tag”). Glasper and Isley have done songs together in the past. She told the press that she views him as a big brother. It was Dine’s suggestion that they do the song together. 

Toward the end of the album, Dine’s production becomes heavier and gloomy. Isley adapts to the shift by talking about heartbreak and the pain that comes with being in love. 

Dine produces each track with a hollow sound. It was interesting that he chose to reverberate Isley’s voice, it works well with the perspective that the album is going for. 

On this project, Isley remains rigid in her voice, lyrics, and melodies. In this recent project, fans were expecting her to experiment with new ideas while remaining grounded in her sound. 

The album displays more of Isley’s vocal and melodic abilities, but it leaves the listener wanting more. Her sound has improved compared to her previous albums, but she seems comfortable with being “a jazz singer.”

Image from Alex Isley, Jack Dine – Topic via YouTube