The first strums of guitar on Alicia McGovern's new release We Just Fly is tension-filled repetition, joined immediately by a simple banjo roll.  Then, Alicia's sweet pure voice comes in, doubled.. just slightly off, enhancing this tension and emphasizing the lyrics to “Carolina”, a complicated love song to home; that place you came from that defines you, that you leave and return to time and time again though the complexities of that family and origin you didn't necessarily choose keep you wondering why.  Soft, low-key arrangements follow.  Alicia and her guitar are joined throughout the CD by various flavor-instruments to accentuate the allusions.  Thoughtfully painted complex heart-songs with titles like “Patron Saint” and the soulful “Lazarus”, about a love affair miraculous like burning bushes in the bible, make you wish you were a believer to.

“You Ran Off With the Gypsies” is another song describing moments using religious terminology to define poignant moments of self discovery in experience.  “This America” is an excellent critique on our nations tendency to use terms like “democracy” to describe the capitalism that permeates everything.  

The title track to the CD “We Just Fly” is a relationship song, also analyzing the complex dynamics of time and place and the friends involved in between, the word friend becomes more complex every moment.  “Emily”, banjo and cello beautifully complimenting the lyrics sung to a child, is advice and observations to a creature living among this labyrinthine of biological interaction.   "Mighty Hand" starts out with a prayer and withdrawing money to go out on The Journey, getting out of dodge as they say, when you take it into your own hands to decide your destiny with references to the border patrol?  These frequent references to God and religious acts aren't your typical references, and this is good.  It is vague and, intentionally or non-intentional, I appreciate this and am not really turned off by it.  It's part of the story, more poetic than preaching.  

“You Rise Up” is another love song to a traveler leaving to embark on the ultimate journey of knowledge.  “Yellowed papers” is a song of the hidden dreams written down by a mother at the age of the perspective voice, seen years later.  And, finally “Fare Thee Well” is a bid farewell by a traveler leaving a lover, vexed by the prospects of the unknown.  

A thoughtfully beautiful and calming listen, both lyrically and in it's production, for those late nights of internal strife.  It's a CD to get you thinking about journeys, and answers and finding the light in love.