Alessia Cara - Know-It-All

Alessia Cara
Know-It-All
2015
Alessia Cara - Know-It-All

Alessia Cara may have been pushed into the mainstream quickly and forcibly. It seems as though she went from a no name to the girl on everyone's radar with the loner anthem "Here" but that would be a misconception. Alessia is not just a one hit wonder, she has a variety of musical influences from Taylor Swift to Doo-Wop that come together on this debut album to make something not just interesting but actually damn catchy. At times she can be playful and young while at others she is wise beyond Her years and deeply effected by the world around Her. Possibly the major misconception about Alessia by both Her label and much of the world at large is that she should be a superstar. Her strengths don't lie in the crowd screaming anthems or uniting the fringe into one group under music, instead she is much more successful in the quieter moments the personal ones. On "Wild Things" she sings: "So aye, we brought our drum and this is how we dance/No mistakin', we make our breaks, if you don't like our 808s/Then leave us alone, cause we don't need your policies/We have no apologies for being..." which is the connection you want on a one on one level, a secret that the indie crowd can tell each other.

As a pop act it would be easy for Alessia to get lost in a very crowded scene, but as that anti pop hero she could really find her footing. The ballads on the record like "Stars" are really quite well done, but they just don't have the same impact as songs like "Here". Those tracks are more full of platitudes and the same of themes that have been played out time after time and that should not be where Alessia sets up her flag. As a whole record Know-It-All is quite well done, each track is well produced  and the beat selection is spot on. Things get a bit mixed up when Alessia tries to be something she is not it just comes across as far to contrived. An example is "Scars to Your Beautiful" where the verses are filled with angst and a deep feeling, but the chorus just relies on played out empowerment lyrics. Listen to this record for the potential, listen to it for what Alessia very well could be. She may be just yet.

6.9 out of 10