NEW YORK (Top40 Charts/
Devine Soul Records) - The London-born singer and songwriter, who now makes his home in New Jersey, has answered the same call that moved so many of his contemporaries to grab a guitar and get in front of a microphone. His debut CD, "Saturday's Hero", recently released on
Devine Soul Records has achieved widespread radio airplay and fantastic reviews from music critics.
"Saturday's Hero" is available at www.chrisalleyne.com, www.devinesoulrecords.com, www.itunes.com , www.napster.com, and www.rhapsody.com. Listeners can also visit www.myspace.com/chrisalleyne .
The first thing that might strike an uninitiated listener about Chris Alleyne's music is how unaffected it is. These stories seem to proceed straight from the singer's lived experience - they're clear, honest, unadulterated, and worldly-wise. Alleyne, an enormous fan of pop, is well-acquainted with the soul tradition - yet there's something unmistakably modern about his productions, too. As a teenager, he performed with R&B combo First Class. The sound of classic singers echo in his radio-ready performances: he can coast through a classic melody like Philippe Wynne of The Spinners, growl like D'Angelo, or croon like John Legend. His is the sort of voice that the music industry is starved for: one that radiates optimism, charm, and quiet, understated power.
As "Saturday's Hero's" tracks suggest, Chris Alleyne keeps his ear to the street. He and his skilled band incorporate elements of blues, jazz, Eighties pop, and reggae into his sharply-written soul songs - and on track after track, he proves he can adapt his voice to music of all genres. 'The Way Things Used To Be' is a straight-up rocker, all electric guitar and crisp drums; 'Missing You' is a smoldering ballad that builds to a lovelorn climax. Alleyne cuts straight to the heart of both songs, foregrounding the essential soul in both approaches, never forgetting to be communicative and approachable. But he saves his best, smokiest performance for the song that has become his calling-card: the gorgeous 'Saturday's Hero'. Here, Alleyne adds fiery electric guitar to the slinky groove, and lets the skyscraping six-string share top billing with his voice. It's a testament to the singer-songwriter's confidence and flexibility, and a genre-busting hit in the making.
A dynamic video of "Saturday's Hero" can be seen at www.youtube.com.
The Chris Alleyne Combo will be gigging around the New York metropolitan area and other cities this spring in support of "Saturday's Hero". His stage performances have wowed audiences worldwide.
