We Speak Music

DD Allen’s New EP ‘Rebel Hero’ Is A Beautifully Introspective Soundscape

Published

1 year ago

March 12, 2025

DD Allen’s, Rebel Hero, EP is a stunning collection of songs that blends folk, rock, and deep personal introspection into a sound that is as compelling as it is cathartic. The EP is the product of a solitary year spent in lockdown, yet it brims with universal emotions that resonate with anyone who has experienced the highs and lows of life. Drawing inspiration from the likes of Bob Dylan and MJ Lenderman, Allen’s lyrics are rich with storytelling and metaphors that leave an indelible mark.

The EP’s title track, ‘Rebel Hero’, is a perfect example of Allen’s ability to merge folk and rock in a way that feels both natural and fresh. The track’s soaring guitars and anthemic chorus make it a standout, but it’s Allen’s emotive vocals that really bring the song to life. There’s a sense of rebellion in the song, a feeling that echoes through much of the EP as Allen reflects on his own search for freedom and meaning. His voice is soft yet compelling, striking a perfect balance between vulnerability and strength.

‘Born To Love You’ offers a gentler moment on the EP, showcasing Allen’s quieter side with a heartfelt and tender melody. The simplicity of the song’s arrangement allows Allen’s lyrics to shine, and the vulnerability in his voice is palpable. It’s a song that speaks to the longing we all feel for love and connection, and it’s one of the most touching moments of the EP. It’s a track that perfectly encapsulates the sense of nostalgia and longing that permeates much of Rebel Hero.

One of the more surprising elements of, Rebel Hero, is the high-energy ‘I See You In The Dark (Alternative Version)’. The track stands out with its ‘80s rock vibe, complete with pulsating synths and anthemic choruses. The song breathes new life into Allen’s songwriting, showcasing his ability to evolve his sound while staying true to his roots. It’s a bold move, and one that pays off, giving listeners a glimpse of the many directions Allen could take his music in the future.

Produced by Mark Tucker, Rebel Hero, is a meticulously crafted work that draws from both the intimate and the expansive. The record feels personal, yet it has a universal quality that will resonate with anyone who has experienced moments of reflection, hope, or despair. DD Allen’s debut is a triumph—a testament to his growth as an artist and his ability to connect with his audience on a deeply emotional level.

We Speak Music

Michele Ducci teases new album with uplifting indie single ‘Woman Like You’

Published

23 hours ago

April 17, 2026

Don Reed

Michele Ducci has unveiled the second single, ‘Woman Like You’, from his forthcoming album and animated film ‘Snail in the Clouds’.

‘Woman Like You’ pairs bright distorted electric guitar with an electronic drumbeat, adding in Ducci’s soulful vocals and a catchy uplifting chorus with Letizia Mandoleisi’s sweet vocal harmonies. A vintage organ pedalboard operated by Ducci simultaneously generates chords, bass and rhythm, like a one-man band. Shane Kennedy (Girl in the Year Above) joins in on guitar. Simon Milner (Is Tropical, Ysing) recorded and produced the track at his 4am Studios in London.

The album and film tell the story of a planet called ‘Snail’, inhabited by hybrids – primarily a mixture between scorpions, snails and humans – who lead a life according to the style of Pythagoras, devoted to music. There is also a cloud man named Agostos, a writer of musical operettas, who together with a talking smoke machine called Doctor Subtilis, begins to kill all hybrids, targeting in particular the hybrid musician Diodoros and his band, in an effort to steal the ark of melodies, an ancient ship that allows the whole planet to survive with music and joy.

The video for the single, created and animated by Ducci and Mandoleisi, delves further into the realm of planet ‘Snail’:

Says Ducci, “The ark of melodies, after various attempts, finally starts to work and fly in the planet Snail, while the shady Doc. Sub. and Agostos, with their platoon of soldiers made of foggy smoke, spy the miracle, planning to steal the ark for their evil and tyrannical purposes.”

About the track, Michele says, “I wrote this song for my love Letizia. Love seen from the mind is the sound we make. Sound is the love of matter.

We used a Technics synthesizer organ from a flea market. I tried to find a mood that was right for the song and I started using the bass of the pedal board together with the synth and the drums, and it was magical to hear the song reveal itself all coming from a single instrument. Leti was singing with me and we recorded everything live in one shot. Then we made Shane do the guitar flight, as if he came out of the window. The idea was to maintain disproportions, guitar thrust and synth drum thinness a la Haroumi Hosono, so as to create an estrangement, but naturally: it’s about how I listen, with close up something that captures me in its nuance as element of a larger orchestra somewhere. I’m glad we decided in the studio with Simon to use the layers of arrangement as the close-ups in the cinema; they look like strange enlargements that perch on parts of a mutated orchestra. I’m happy to come back with this love song at a time when everything seems to opt, even my labor in managing the flows of selfishness that have poured out on me while doing this album, for the sound of war. I’m here happy to be able to say that the sound of love always wins as did for me. Snail in the clouds is one of the most important works in my life and I am glad to start from pure love for this album that is my son.”

The album and full-length film will be released on the 5^th of June on Monotreme Records.

Michele and Letizia’s previous musical short film, ‘The Great Book of Nature’, is an official selection for the 2026 Venice Shorts Film Festival.