Arlie - SOMEONE YOU CAN BELIEVE IN
In a turn of events that seemed somewhat fated, I stumbled upon an early copy of LA based artist Arlie's new album SOMEONE YOU CAN BELIEVE IN, upon seeing some of the tracks live in Detroit, MI at Lager House. After attending the show initially to see Nordista Freeze’s opening set, I was graced with the main event, Arlie’s set, where I was introduced to a whole new world of Indie music.
After the set, I received a free copy of the CD for Arlie’s new album, and I knew that I had to get home and give it a listen. I was absolutely not disappointed. Not only were Arlie and his band fantastic live performers, even incorporating the audience into the band, the album gave off the exact same energy! This past year, it has been difficult for me to find studio albums that sounded similar in any way to their live performance counterparts, or capture the same energy as when they are seen on stage. However, this album gave me that exact vibe! With catchy lyrics, boppy melodies, and raw, authentic vocals, Arlies SOMEONE YOU CAN BELIEVE IN really shook up the Indie Rock scene for me.
Talk about an album telling a story, this album quite literally has storybook interludes for you to follow along with, featuring different characters and a dialogue that introduce something that I haven't seen from any other releases this year. Given that this album is also titled Book 1, we can only assume that this is not the end of those storybook interludes, which leaves so much opportunity for the future! Without speaking to the plot of the interludes (as that's for you to listen to upon the album's release), I was definitely shocked by the level of care and plot actually put into these interludes. Typically, a “storybook album” feels forced and cliche, however, after speaking with and hearing Arlie talk about this album on stage, it is clear that he puts his full-being into his music, and devotes all of his thought into the complexities of this album. Upon my first listen, I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but I was very impressed hearing the actual full development of a tale woven between each track of the album.
There was also a fantastic musicality to the album that I really appreciated. I love hearing tracks from an album live before the studio versions are released, but sometimes that can amount to disappointment, as it can be difficult to recreate that energy and vibe brought to the stage. I have even seen this with a few albums released this year, so I was apprehensive when first listening to the album. However, I was absolutely not disappointed! One of my favorite tracks to see live from the album was left behind, a vibey, indie-rock track with some fantastic live vocals that perfectly translated onto the record. Oftentimes when you become accustomed to hearing a song live rather than recorded, the studio versions can feel disconnected from that original sound and energy. Something I really enjoy about Indie Rock records like this album are the raw recordings with vocals and instrumentals that sound like they're being performed right in front of you.
After only seeing Arlie perform live one time, it is clear to me that his energy is unmatched, and he has a great bond with his band that creates fantastic chemistry on and (so I’ve learned) off stage.
Another one of my favorite tracks off the album is the title track, and the opening track of the record, someone you can believe in. Both this track and left behind were singles released before the album that really drew me in to the sound that Arlie was creating. While they certainly do capture that classic Indie-Rock/Alternative vibe, there is a quality about Arlie's vocals and the way he performs and presents his music that make this album feel like something we’ve never seen before. The title track someone you can believe in has a much lighter, beachy type of vibe that makes you want to get up and dance. Whereas a track like left behind has more of an acoustic vibe that has you bopping your head.
Throughout the entirety of the tracklist, we are presented with track-after-track of unique sounds, and a very well-thought out and interesting storyline that really helps you immerse yourself into the album without sounding cliche. This was a fantastic album to check out, and a fantastic way to tie off the new releases of 2025! If you are looking for an Alternative, Indie Rock artist to introduce yourself to the scene, or looking to expand your listening repertoire, I would absolutely recommend someone you can believe in by Arlie, releasing on December 12th.
If you are able, tune into the live album release show, also on December 12th, at the Moroccan Lounge in Los Angeles, CA, featuring Arlie and Nordista Freeze, where you can see tracks like someone you can believe in, left behind, and many others live!