by Niccolo Dante Porcello (@chromechompsky)
AllegrA's new EP My Legs Are Growing is the first formal release from Pittsburgh's Allegra Eidinger. The four songs are a collection of gently cascading pop songs that occupy the familiar arena of bedroom-warmth, without resorting to over worn songwriting tropes. On "Snooze", AllegrA contemplates the groggy aftermath of sleeping too much: "oversteep my tea/ send me flying over sea/ my voice strikes a chord it never has before/ i never drink enough water/ my body is too busy/ wake me up" and on "You Make Me Nervous" she comes to a pithy and wonderful understanding: "it's hard for me to hold eye contact/ it's hard for me to lock eyes with someone i'm not attracted to/ but when i am, i can't seem to stop/ i know you do the opposite."
These small moments are surrounded by the luxurious guitar-driven rock that has bubbled up as of late from acts like Chastity Belt, Snail Mail, and even Courtney Barnett. AllegrA peppers the vast space between the drums and guitar (she plays all the instruments on My Legs) to insert comforting, funny, and unusually wise lyrics that come from a large vocal range. There are trebly highs, and smoky lows, all of which are wonderfully grounded by the swirls of guitar and airy snare drum below. There is something profoundly identifiable about the phrase "the ball is in your court/ want to pass it back to me?"
My Legs Are Growing is currently streaming on bandcamp.