Listening to ALew, it’s easy to recognize a young artist brimming with potential. The Pennsylvania native showcases emotive, proficient guitar work alongside an ambitious cross-section of vocal styles, with the overall mission of changing the world through musical messages of love, unity, and positivity.

It’s fitting, then, that his debut full length effort is titled The Prologue. Indeed, it is only the beginning for an artist with a lot to say, and with many developing avenues to bring it across.

The majority of The Prologue is rooted in acoustic pop sensibility, with accessible melodies and relatable storytelling. Opening track “Say What You Want” is a good example of this, complete with a stomp-and-clap beat and shades of indie rock rawness peppered in. “Motto” is another upbeat example; one on which ALew throws rap verses and spoken word into the mix, giving a nod to the music that inspires him.

Speaking of spoken word, several tracks are dedicated to that medium, each expressing ALew’s philosophy on topics like equality and power (“We Are One”), chasing dreams (“Do What You Love”), and society’s propensity for looking outward for happiness and satisfaction (“Validation”). Each spoken word track is accompanied thereafter by a companion song, which further fleshes out each individual message.

Additional highlights include “Broken Name,” a starry-eyed, lovelorn ballad with a touch of the blues in the guitar; and “She’s Too Tall for Me,” a funny anecdote about ALew meeting the woman of his dreams, except for one glaring difference.

Track listing
Where It All Starts
Say What You Want
8 Billion
Broken Name
We Are One
Start Again
Do What You Love
Life and Death
Man Behind the Curtain
Motto
Validation
What a Wonderful Place
She’s Too Tall For Me
Self Confidence
Stars
One Day