Allie Ascentia’s Crossroads is like one of those late-night conversations with yourself that accidentally turns profound. This is a fully solo project—every lyric, melody, instrument, vocal layer, and production choice comes straight from Ascentia’s own hands—and you can hear that level of control in how personal and intentional the album sounds.
Drawing loosely from microhouse and dark electronic textures, the record floats between ethereal electronics and intimate, almost acoustic-feeling moments. The album plays like a carefully arranged emotional arc, mapping the push and pull of unexpected love, slow disillusionment, and the quiet reckoning that follows.
It opens with “Great Place to Start,” an immersive, ambient entry point where heavy, grounding drums collide with a resilient vocal performance that refuses to stay small. Ascentia’s voice soars with purpose, especially as she fires off the lines, “I am dancing around the question / Will it become another lesson?” She brings a bold, almost defiant way to step into the album’s emotional maze.
Later, “What You’d Do For Money” shifts the mood into darker territory, draped in haunting drones and stripped-back vulnerability. It’s a sharp-eyed critique of glamour and ambition, exposing the tremors beneath show-business shine.
“Cruel Like That” snaps back with gritty rhythms and buzzing pulses, balancing catchy momentum with accusation and self-awareness. There’s anger here, but it’s controlled—cool introspection wrapped in sharp beats. By the time the album reaches “Basic Code,” everything softens. Gentle piano and ambient beats cradle one of the most devastating lines on the record: “I am not looking forward to the future / Because you used to be my view.”
Crossroads is intimate, cinematic, and brave, the sound of an artist choosing reflection over shortcuts and trusting that vulnerability is the real hook.
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Review by: Naomi Joan