rebecca perl
S I N G E R
SONGWRITER
"before i fall "
BY BRITNEY GRASMAN
PHOTOS BY MORGAN HARRISON
30
NEWSOUNDMAGAZINE.COM
C
andle adorned tables align the perimeter of the dimly lit
bar in Manhattan’s East Village as Rebecca Perl walks in. Her
casual jeans and simple t-shirt are an icebreaker themselves; She
isn’t begging to be the center of attention, but when she takes
the stage at the Bowery Electric, she commands it. Rebecca
wears her guitar as comfortably as a pair of gym sneakers- and
it makes sense, she’s been playing for nearly a decade.
The singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist released her
six-song EP in February- but she’s hardly a newbie. The earlytwenties college grad played her first show on her stomping
grounds on Long Island in the 9th grade. “All my friends from
school came to support me,” Rebecca remembers, “It was so
much fun.” The turnout was more modest on this occasion,
but the few family members and a couple of friends watch in
adornment. If a smaller crowd hinders her performance, one
would never notice.
A fitting name, this Perl’s voice envelops all the characteristics
of a pearl. It is smooth, natural, elegant, and timeless. After
a few songs, Rebecca changes tempo from the sweet and
innocent sounds of Sweetest Thing to the bluesy To Deep. An
older man in the back corner sways to the sounds of sultry
tune, as if he’s reminiscing of a time when this kind of music
proliferated mainstream culture. If Rebecca has any attitude it
entwines itself into the lyrics and instrumentals of the song. Her
“sidekicks,” Mark Phillip and Tim Caro play the saxophone and
bass alongside her. They seem like wings, to the left and right,
guiding this song to another genre.
The songs genres may slightly differ, from pop to pop-blues,
but a common denominator binds them. When asked what
inspires her the most, Rebecca admits, “Love inspires me the
most. Not just being in love but loving in general. I think it’s
the most important thing in the world.” And her songs revolve
around and infiltrate the idea of love.
Sounding equally as good, or better live, as through a
computer or radio is