Track Review: Amelia Allen – “Bedtime Stories”

[Self-released; 2010]

Now that everyone has a laptop, the introverts and bedroom artists of the music world are starting to make music in ways that weren’t previously possible. The entire songwriting process can be done privately, and the final products often play out more like private conversations than songs. Amongst the crowd embracing this M.O. is Amelia Allen, who is whittling out tender acoustic lullabies with just her voice and a guitar.

Intimate and introspective, “Bedtime Stories” is music made in and for quiet spaces. Nimble guitar lines dance in one by one as Allen sings right into your ear. Although her songwriting skills are still raw, she already has an ear for hooks and gentle, music box melodies. Sighing off-the-cuff couplets, the song succeeds largely on the strength of her saccharine vocals. It’s an intriguing introduction to a musician with politely sanguine potential.

Bedtime Stories by Amelia Allen

7/10