Tag: ACES I Could Be Your Girl

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: The Noirish and Cinematic Visuals for ACES’ Slow-Burning and Atmospheric “Baby I Don’t Mean To Ignore”

Now, if you’ve been frequenting this site for a while, you may recall that with the release of four singles over the course of 2015 and 2016 — the achingly vulnerable “What Do You Think They’ll Say About Me,” the part torch song, part wistful and tender farewell “I’m Already Gone,” the slow-burning Quiet Storm-era R&B inspired pop song “Find Me Out,” and the swooning “I Could Be Your Girl,” ACES, the recording project of Canadian-born, Brooklyn-based pop artist Alexandra Stewart, featuring contributions from Canadian-born, Brooklyn-based guitarist Russ Flynn received quite a bit of attention across the blogosphere, including this site, for an atmospheric and subtly modern take on 80s synth pop.

This year began with Stewart releasing “Just Cut It Out,” a single that appeared on the DRUG BLVD compilation, the first release from Istanbul, Turkey-based dream pop label Drug Boulevard, founded by Kubily Yigit, who has also founded renowned Turkish progressive/trance electronica label Blue Soho Records. And interestingly enough, I think that “Just Cut It Out” will cement Stewart’s growing international profile for crafting slow-burning and atmospheric pop that feature her breathy and achingly tender vocals while focusing on a narrator who’s heartbroken over a relationship that’s ended and yet doesn’t want to give it up. Stewart’s latest single, the slow-burning and aching “Baby, I Don’t Mean To Ignore” continues in a similar vein — sparse and atmospheric arrangements with swirling electronics paired with Stewart’s breathily tender vocals. And much like her preceding singles, “Baby, I Don’t Mean To Ignore,” the first official single from her soon-to-be released debut EP Stranger manages to convey a complex array of emotions — in this case a push and pull between longing and devotion, wanting to be left alone, of being hopelessly stuck in one’s own head and not quite knowing how to express themselves in a way that makes sense.

The recently released and extraordinarily noir-ish and cinematic video was created by Alex Stewart and her video team of Alex Munro and her husband Oresti Tsonopoulous. Based primarily around footage Tsonopolous and Stewart shot while on a date. As Stewart explains in press notes, the footage wasn’t even intended to be used for a music video but once she started to go through it, the concept of the video immediately came to mind. “I love the motion in driving and walking scenes and that’s where I tend to do my best thinking. The song was an idea I had about a person in their most vulnerable moment. Some time before they’re in a relationship or be before they’ve even decided what they’re going to do about their feelings. They’re really mulling things over. The video took shape from those images, and I think you get the sense that this is a girl on a mission. She’s ready to make her move.”

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

With the release of their first four singles over the course of 2015 and 2016 — — the achingly vulnerable “What Do You Think They’ll Say About Me,” the part torch song, part wistful and tender farewell “I’m Already Gone” and the slow-burning Quiet Storm-era R&B inspired pop song “Find Me Out,” and the swooning “I Could Be Your Girl,” the Canadian-born, Brooklyn-based electro pop duo ACES, comprised of  Russ Flynn and Alexandra Stewart received quite a bit of attention across the blogosphere for a subtly modern and atmospheric take on early-to-mid 80s synth pop.

The Canadian-born, Brooklyn-based duo start 2017 with their latest single “Just Cut It Out,” which will appear on a synth pop compilation titled DRUG BLVD that serves as the first release from Istanbul, Turkey-based dream pop label Drug Boulevard, founded by Kubily Yigit, best known as the founder of renowned Turkish progressive/trance label Blue Soho Records. “Just Cut It Out” will further cement the duo’s burgeoning internationally recognized profile for crafting slow-burning and atmospheric pop paired with Stewart’s breathy and achingly tender vocals. And while bearing a meticulous production, the single manages to swoons with the heartache of a relationship that the song’s narrator knows is doomed and yet doesn’t want to give up.

 

 

 

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

With the release of their firs three singles — the achingly vulnerable “What Do You Think They’ll Say About Me,” the part torch song, part wistful and tender farewell “I’m Already Gone” and the slow-burning Quiet Storm-era R&B inspired pop song “Find Me Out,” the Canadian-born, Brooklyn-based electro pop duo ACES, comprised of  Russ Flynn and Alexandra Stewart received quite a bit of attention across the blogosphere for a subtly modern and atmospheric take on early-to-mid 80s synth pop.

As Stewart explains in press notes, the Brooklyn-based synth pop duo’s first single of 2016 “I Could Be Your Girl” “is the true ACES getaway track, but today, I’m not sure where we’re headed. ‘I Could Be Your Girl’ is about being honest with yourself and realizing when you deserve more. It’s about embracing that change and still wanting to love anyway. I hope it can be a voice for all of us doing some self-reflection right now . . . the future is female!” Their latest single pairs Stewart’s breathily tender vocals with Flynn’s atmospheric production consisting of gently trembling synths, hi-hat flashes, swirling electronics — and as a result, the song possesses a swooning quality but just underneath the surface there’s a palpable sense of trepidation and uncertainty.