Nereo, Ayla / Be Held
Album: Be Held   Collection:General
Artist:Nereo, Ayla   Added:May 2012
Label:Populus Tremolo  

A-File Activity
Add Date: 2012-05-12 Pull Date: 2012-07-15
Week Ending: Jul 15 Jul 8 Jul 1 Jun 24 Jun 17 Jun 10 Jun 3 May 27
Airplays: 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 3

Recent Airplay
1. May 15, 2015: Time Traveler
Thorny Rose
4. Sep 14, 2012: Time Traveler
Thorny Rose
2. Jul 26, 2013: Time Traveler
Thorny Rose
5. Aug 24, 2012: Time Traveler
Wasted Hours
3. Nov 23, 2012: Time Traveler
Wasted Hours
6. Aug 13, 2012: In Your Ear | Global Radio
Feathered Bow, Hello Beloved, Oh Love!

Album Review
Francis Dickerson
Reviewed 2012-05-09
“BeHeld” Ayla Nereo
Outstanding indie folk set from Stanford alumna Ayla Nereo — a collection of insightful, personal reflections on life and living. Nereo’s delicate, floating voice serves as a captivating instrument of its own throughout the CD — doubled, harmonizing or used as a background for the lead vocals — mixed with acoustic guitar, piano, light percussion, and occasionally strings or brass. While this is Ayla’s third solo CD (but our first here at KZSU), she can also be heard on two Beatbeat Whisper CDs that we have, performing with her brother, Davyd. Good time to check those out as well!
— Francis

Recommended: 8, 9, 2, 5, 1, or 10. FCC clean.

1. (2:49) Oh Love! — Feist-like without being formulaic. Playful piano and sweet vocals. Simple, honest indie folk-pop. **
2. (2:53) Hello Beloved — Acoustic guitar with Nereo’s earnest vocals and beautiful harmonies. Very simple. **
3. (4:32) Feathered Bow — Syncopated beat, with rich a capella harmonies layered under lead vocal.
4. (3:14) Colors — Toy box-like bells with Nereo’s childlike vocals. Strings add a nice dimension partway through.
5. (4:44) I Could Write — Piano, guitar and Nereo’s emotive vocals create a melodic, circular folk song. **
6. (2:09) Rest, Child — Sweet vocals backed by xylophone. Song pauses for a few seconds in middle, then ends with one-minute instrumental.
7. (1:33) Winds of the West — Nereo’s a capella voice is an amazing, multilayered instrument in this short song.
8. (3:55) Thorny Rose — Beautiful, rich indie folk. Guitar, strings and Nereo’s lilting voice paint a colorful landscape. ****
9. (5:04) Wasted Hours — Upbeat and bouncy. A bit of a strummy folk flavor to this. Honest vocals focus on learning about love as not being wasted time. ***
10. (3:21) It’s Okay — Lovely, floating melody, with sweet harmonies under lead vocals. **
11. (3:52) Asalam Shalom — Middle Eastern flavor. Circular picking guitar. Light rhythm including bongos.
12. (3:46) Sacred Mountain — Upbeat, storytelling song about challenges to the planet. Brass layered in at end.
13. (4:42) Headin’ North — Revival style song, with Dixieland jazz feel at end. In first half of song, Nereo’s voice stands alone in harmonies, with light handclaps. Brass, piano and string bass added for the jazzy last 2:20.


Track Listing
1. Oh Love!   7. Winds Of The West
2. Hello Beloved   8. Thorny Rose
3. Feathered Bow   9. Wasted Hours
4. Colors   10. It's Okay
5. I Could Write   11. Asalam Shalom
6. Rest, Child   12. Sacred Mountain
  13. Headin' North