Listening to Allegra Eidinger’s self-released debut, My Legs Are Growing, you can get a sense for how the Pittsburgh producer approaches songwriting under the moniker AllegrA. On the four tracks that compose the Yes Yes A Thousand Times Yes bassist’s solo EP, AllegrA defies the typical compositional approach excising pop signifiers such as choruses or clear narratives from her song’s structures. The lack of these tropes, however, does not detract from the song’s pop sensibilities.
Eidinger’s laconic lyrics are fitted atop the bass, guitar and drums dynamic—all of which she wrote, played and recorded herself—and are sung in both a throaty, authoritative voice that alternately sounds like it’s discovering the melody as it goes along. This impinged uncertainty may be attributed to the fact that Eidinger stretches the syllables of each word to suit her vocal lines, which is most apparent on the EP’s standout track, opener “Wool or Fleece.”
Each verse on each song seems to jump to a new idea, which at times can create a sense of lacked lyrical cohesion, but somehow Eidinger’s confidence makes each choice to divert from songwriting standards feel less like a divestment and more like an interesting subversion that only adds to the EP’s unique qualities. Case and point comes via track “Snooze” on which Eidinger stretches her low voice to fluttering heights as she sings, “my voice strikes a chord / it never has before.” It’s one of the EP’s best moments.
As AllegrA’s legs continue to grow so too will her songwriting acumen. I only hope that this growth will be self-fostered and retain all that makes Eidinger’s perspective her own. My Legs Are Growing is out now.
