Alya - Ten Years of Solitude (Self-Released)

Alya is an artist who was born in Russia, but is now based in Los Angeles, and she recently released her debut album, Ten Years of Solitude, a collection of indie pop that mixes bits of electronica, rock, and folk. Inspired by the likes of Tori Amos and Sia, the album, however, is more about the artist and the artist’s singular voice than any one type of genre or style. Each song is different in some ways from the one immediately proceeding it, but there is always a distinct characteristic that is uniquely Alya’s, and the songs form a sort of concept album about her own journey to becoming an artist.

From the dusty, garage rock guitars of “Half of the Sun” to the psychedelic, metal leanings of “Twenty Six” to the cinematically orchestrated, Kate Bush music box “Hachiko,” Alya has crafted a colorful kaleidoscope of images and sensations. It is occasionally disorienting, but because of this, the album is a true representation of the imaginative possibilities of the creative process. Ten Years of Solitude is a genre-bending, deeply personal one-of-a-kind statement from an artist with as much vision as individuality, and if that weren’t enough, Alya is donating 100% of the profits to the Naked Heart Foundation which helps kids with special needs and learning disabilities.