CD Review of Ali Handal's
Breathing Underwater
From Wood & Steel Magazine's "Indie Artists on Review" Section
by Bryan Beller
Published Spring, 2006

Even if you’ve never heard of Ali Handal, it’s quite possible you’ve heard her music without knowing it. The L.A.-based singer-songwriter’s material has been featured on everything from HBO’s Sex and the City to WB’s Dawson’s Creek, as well as numerous film scores, radio shows, and even on Northwest and KLM Airlines’ in-flight audio programming. But the ever-industrious Handal has a solo career as well, and has plenty to say on her own terms.

Her second release, Breathing Underwater, employs a bare-bones instrumentation of vocals, acoustic guitar, electric bass, and percussion to move and inspire the listener to join her journey into herself, an exploration of her hopes, fears and dreams about love and family. The title track is even more direct; it’s an invitation for someone specific to swim in the deep emotional waters in which she resides.

What’s left unsaid is whether that someone accepts the invitation, and that ambivalence colors a wide swath of the album. “Soft In The Middle” shows Ali in a bravado stance, tough enough to handle the route to love’s “prize” – on the surface, at least. “You Mean That Much To Me” and “Sweet Scene” both deal with on-again/off-again romance, the latter of which is striking in its light, sweet musical treatment of a heavy conversation between two lovers. But the most direct message is also the most powerful, and the album’s first track and single, “I Miss You,” demonstrates that cleanly, albeit with a twist at the end.

In classic songwriter form, it all starts with the interplay of Ali’s hauntingly enticing vocals and rich acoustic guitar parts and textures, but the subtle support of the late Wes Wehmiller’s basslines bring the music to a deeper place. Dark in tone but light in feel, his grooves and countermelodies dance across the album, while leaving maximum space for Ali’s guitar to carry the record. Listen closely to several of the guitar solos (Ali plays all guitar parts herself), and you’ll hear the sound of a Baby Taylor sitting atop the mix, sometimes affected beyond recognition and at others just naturally exposed. It fits the material on several levels, and they all work.

Ali dedicates a full three songs to her family, and saves the most upbeat tune –written for her sister Sarah - for last. “The Ride” is a fast-paced, unapologetically upbeat number. It’s totally unlike anything else on the record, and yet it still connects, both musically and spiritually. It leaves you wondering what her next step is, because it seems there’s one coming.  Guess we’ll have to wait for her next record to find out. Here’s hoping.

This copyrighted article first appeared in the Spring 2006 issue of Taylor Guitars' quarterly publication, Wood&Steel. It is reproduced here by permission of Taylor Guitars for the sole discretionary use of Bryan Beller and cannot be reproduced or reprinted anywhere else without the express permission and consent of Taylor Guitars.