| With Love From | ||||
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| Released | March 15, 2023 | |||
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| Length | 40:16 | |||
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| Singles from With Love From | ||||
With Love From is the fifth studio album by American duo Aly & AJ, released on March 15, 2023, through AWAL. The duo promoted the album with an 18-date tour across North America in 2023. [2]
With Love From explores Americana, folk music, and indie pop with influences from country music. [5] [6] [7] Regarding this stylistic choice, AJ Michalka said "I think being that Aly and I come from pop songwriting, that will always be an underbelly to our writing. But I do think opening up into an Americana kind of folk fits Aly and I really well. It's something that we wanted to pursue when we were younger. We also grew up listening to a lot of music that fell into that category. But in a way, when you're a strong songwriter and you're really confident in your work and you're open to working with other people and you're open to diverse ideas, when it comes to kind of floating between genres, I think that's when you can shine because you're not boxing yourself into a genre." [5] The album was recorded shortly after the release of A Touch of the Beat Gets You Up on Your Feet Gets You Out and Then Into the Sun and enlisted many of the same collaborators. The duo recorded the song live-to-tape when possible, which gives the record "a less glossy, more lived-in feel with lots of raggedly distorted guitars and spacey echo high in the mix". [6] In a review for Paste , Anna Govert wrote "More than anything, Aly & AJ have proven once again that they are so much more than the music they made when they were teenagers. Aly & AJ are releasing career-defining music (and have been for the past six years), and With Love From might top A Touch of the Beat as their best album to date." [8]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [6] |
| Paste | 8.1/10 [8] |
| PopMatters | 7/10 [9] |
AllMusic writer Heather Phares praised the group's new sound, but considered the more straightforward pop songs to be "forced". [6] Rachel R. Carroll of PopMatters wrote that "While With Love From is not the most visionary pop record released in recent years, it doesn’t need to be. Aly & AJ have an unflinching and often wry songwriting style that is recognizably theirs. They may not have taken many risks with their sound since a touch of the beat, but the care with which they craft their soundscapes makes the argument that consistency doesn’t have to be boring". [9]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Open to Something and that Something Is You" | Aly Michalka, AJ Michalka, Ryan Spraker | 3:24 |
| 2. | "With Love From" | Aly Michalka, AJ Michalka, James McAlister | 3:59 |
| 3. | "After Hours" | Aly Michalka, AJ Michalka, Spraker | 2:56 |
| 4. | "Blue Dress" | Aly Michalka, AJ Michalka, Spraker | 4:08 |
| 5. | "Love You This Way" | Aly Michalka, AJ Michalka, Jorge Elbrecht | 3:12 |
| 6. | "Way of Nature Way of Grace" (featuring Joy Oladokun) | Aly Michalka, AJ Michalka, Thad Cockrell, Eddie Spear | 4:01 |
| 7. | "Tear the Night Up" | Aly Michalka, AJ Michalka, Elbrecht, Yves Rothman | 3:28 |
| 8. | "Sunchoke" | Aly Michalka, AJ Michalka, McAlister, Rothman | 3:23 |
| 9. | "Talking in My Sleep" | Aly Michalka, AJ Michalka, Leah Haywood, Dan Pringle | 2:51 |
| 10. | "Baby Lay Your Head Down" | Aly Michalka, AJ Michalka, Spraker | 3:44 |
| 11. | "6 Months of Staring Into the Sun" | Aly Michalka, AJ Michalka, Spraker | 5:10 |
| Total length: | 40:16 | ||
Aly & AJ
Additional musicians
| Region | Date | Format | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Various | March 15, 2023 | ||
| August 31, 2023 | [10] [11] [12] | ||
Alyson Michalka is an American actress and singer-songwriter. Michalka rose to prominence with her starring role as Keely Teslow in the Disney Channel sitcom Phil of the Future (2004–2006). She went on to appear in various films, such as Bandslam (2009), Easy A (2010), The Roommate (2011), Grown Ups 2 (2013), Sequoia (2014), Weepah Way for Now (2015), and The Lears (2017). She had starring roles in The CW comedy drama series Hellcats (2010–2011) and the CW crime drama series iZombie (2015–2019), along with the Hallmark Channel Original Movie, Sand Dollar Cove (2021).
Amanda Joy Michalka is an American actress, musician and singer-songwriter who is best known as one half of the musical duo Aly & AJ, alongside her older sister Aly Michalka. She has appeared in films such as The Lovely Bones (2009), Secretariat (2010), Super 8 (2011), Grace Unplugged (2013), Weepah Way for Now (2015), and Support the Girls (2018). Michalka also starred in the ABC sitcom The Goldbergs (2013–2023) and its spin-off series Schooled (2019–2020). She is also known for voicing a lead role as Catra in the Netflix animated adventure series She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018–2020).
Into the Rush is the debut studio album by American pop rock duo Aly & AJ. The album was released on August 16, 2005, by Disney-owned label Hollywood Records. The album features 14 tracks, including the singles "Rush" and "Do You Believe in Magic". A deluxe edition of the album was released on August 8, 2006, featuring three all new songs, two new mixes of previous songs, and a bonus DVD.
Aly & AJ is an American pop rock duo consisting of sisters Aly Michalka and AJ Michalka from Torrance, California. They signed with Hollywood Records and in 2005, they released their debut album Into the Rush. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA and contained the singles "Rush" and "Chemicals React". They followed this release with the albums Acoustic Hearts of Winter (2006) and Insomniatic (2007). The latter contained the Platinum single "Potential Breakup Song", which was a top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
Cow Belles is a 2006 romantic teen comedy Disney Channel Original film that stars American pop recording artists Alyson Michalka and Amanda Michalka, better known as sister duo Aly & AJ. It premiered on March 24, 2006, on the Disney Channel and was watched by over 5.8 million viewers.
"Chemicals React" is a song written and recorded by American pop rock duo Aly & AJ, for the deluxe edition reissue of their debut album Into the Rush (2005). The Michalka sisters co-wrote the song with Antonina Armato and Tim James of production duo Rock Mafia, who also produced the track. It was the second mainstream single from Into the Rush and seventh overall single, released to radio by Hollywood Records on June 27, 2006. "Chemicals React" served as the group's debut international release. A re-recorded version of the song was released on July 22, 2022.
The discography of Aly & AJ, an American pop rock duo, consists of four studio albums, one video album, two extended plays and compilation albums, 32 singles, 10 music videos and various album appearances. They released their debut studio album Into the Rush on August 17, 2005. The album debuted at number 36 in the United States, selling over 24,000 copies in its first week and was later certified Gold by the RIAA. Into the Rush earned them the "Contemporary Inspirational Artists of the Year" nomination at the 2006 American Music Awards. Into the Rush has sold 839,000 copies in the United States and 1,000,000 worldwide.
Acoustic Hearts of Winter is a Christmas album and the second studio album by American pop duo Aly & AJ. The album was released on September 26, 2006 in the United States, via Hollywood Records. The album was conceived as a project after completing the deluxe edition of their debut album, Into the Rush (2005). All production of the album was done by Antonina Armato and Tim James. The majority of songs are cover versions of religious Christmas carols or contemporary classics. Two originals appear on the set, which were written by Aly & AJ with Armato and James. Musically, the album has an instrument-driven acoustic feel, primarily by guitar. It utilizes pop music influences on Christmas music. The album sold 110,000 copies in the United States.
Insomniatic is the third studio album by American pop rock duo Aly & AJ, released on July 10, 2007 by Hollywood Records. The album features an electronic based sound, differing from their previous pop-rock and acoustic releases, that was accented with the use of synthesizers, sampling, drum programming and vocal processing effects. The lyrical content of the album is centered heavily around heartbreak, which some critics noted for its contrast to the electronic elements presented.
"Like Whoa" is a song by American pop rock duo Aly & AJ, written and recorded by the duo for their second studio album, Insomniatic. It is the second and final single from the album, released in 2008. The single release in the UK was cancelled for unknown reasons. It was their final single to be released before departing from Hollywood Records. A re-recorded version of the song was released on May 2, 2022.
"Hothouse" is a song by American band 78violet. It is their first single release since their renaming from Aly & AJ in 2009 and only single released under the name before they returned to Aly & AJ in 2015. It was released on July 8, 2013. The song was written by sisters Aly and AJ Michalka, and Mike Einziger, while production was handled by David Kahne. The single was noted for showcasing a change in musical direction for the duo.
Love Has Come for You is a 2013 bluegrass music CD featuring a collaboration of 13 original songs composed by Steve Martin (music) and Edie Brickell. The album cover art is a painting entitled "After Dinner Drinks" (2008) by Martin Mull; the original work is in Steve Martin's personal art collection.
"Potential Breakup Song" is a song co-written and performed by pop rock duo Aly & AJ and is the first single from their third studio album, Insomniatic. It was released on June 26, 2007, going on to top many video countdowns, and becoming Aly & AJ's most successful single to date. In November 2020, the song saw a resurgence in popularity due to its widespread use on the app TikTok, receiving over 26 million viewers for the month.
"Take Me" is a song recorded by American music duo Aly & AJ. It was released on August 18, 2017 as the lead single from the duo's debut EP Ten Years (2017). It serves as their first release since their name change from 78Violet to Aly & AJ, as well as their first release as Aly & AJ in ten years. The single was silently released on June 2, 2017, but was taken down quickly after. "Take Me" was penned by the duo, along with Jamie Sierota and Ryan Spraker.
Ten Years is the first extended play (EP) by American pop music duo Aly & AJ. It was released on November 17, 2017. Ten Years serves as their first release in ten years, following the release of their third studio album Insomniatic (2007), which reached number 15 on the Billboard 200. It is additionally their first release since their departure from Hollywood Records in 2010; the record was released on their own label, Aly & AJ Music, LLC.
"I Know" is a single recorded by American pop duo Aly & AJ. The follow-up to their previous single "Take Me", it was released on November 3, 2017 as the second single from their debut extended play, Ten Years (2017).
Patty Griffin is the tenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Patty Griffin. The album was released on March 8, 2019, and follows a four-year hiatus that Griffin took while battling breast cancer following her 2015 album Servant of Love, including briefly losing her voice.
Sanctuary is the second extended play (EP) by American pop music duo Aly & AJ. It was released on May 10, 2019, through the duo's independent label Aly & AJ Music LLC. The EP follows Aly & AJ's first EP, Ten Years (2017). A continuation of the 1980s-inspired sound found on Ten Years, Sanctuary is a synth-pop and electropop EP that discusses themes of love, mental health, and life. Sanctuary was positively received by music critics, who praised the EP's further exploration of 1980s synth-pop, while also praising the duo's musical growth.
A Touch of the Beat Gets You Up on Your Feet Gets You Out and Then Into the Sun is the fourth studio album by American duo Aly & AJ, released on May 7, 2021. The release marks their first studio album in 14 years, following Insomniatic in 2007. The album was produced by Yves Rothman, and each track holds writing credits from both Michalka sisters. Aly & AJ stated that despite the COVID-19 pandemic, it did not hinder their writing process, as they felt that they were "born to make" this album. They stated that while making the album, they were influenced by 1960s and 1970s music, and that it would differ from their two previous projects, Ten Years (2017) and Sanctuary (2019), which were influenced by 1980s music. The duo also wanted to capture the music of their home state California, and create a body of work that felt "timeless" to listeners. The result was a pop and pop rock record that draws musical influence from disco, soft rock, and country.
"Slow Dancing" is a song by American pop duo Aly & AJ from their fourth studio album, A Touch of the Beat Gets You Up on Your Feet Gets You Out and Then Into the Sun (2021). Band members AJ and Aly Michalka co-wrote the song with Jeremiah Raisen, Ryan Spraker, and Yves Rothman, with Rothman also handling the production. It was originally envisioned as an up-tempo synth-pop song similar to Aly & AJ's 2017–2019 material, several years before the album was conceived. The duo re-wrote it as a romantic ballad upon revisiting the song while quarantining during COVID-19, updating the lyrics to reflect the impact of the pandemic at the behest of Rothman. Aly initially disliked the song but eventually grew to appreciate it. One of the last songs completed for the album, the song was originally scheduled for a January 2021 release, but Aly & AJ decided to release it a month earlier because they found the soft, calming nature suitable for winter.