Each Measure Review: Michellar
FEATURE
They say music is the universal language, and that certainly seems to be embedded into Michellar’s artistic philosophy. If her latest released is anything to go by, the talented San Francisco-based musician is on a mission to bridge gaps between language, culture, and location with her unique sound.
Michellar’s latest EP is set to be released on July 25th, 2025, and its genesis was an international endeavor. Like Michellar’s musical influences, the recording processing spanned multiple countries, with stops in her home city of San Francisco as well as Austin, Texas and London, UK. The title, Mi Alma Latina, shows a similarly global sensibility. It’s a Spanish phrase translating to “My Latin Soul,” and in the context of Michellar’s music, it carries multiples meanings.
Michellar herself has both Spanish and Filippino roots in her family history, and the Latin soul in question might well be her own. She isn’t shy about mining her origins for stories to tell, and she certainly taps into Latin influences to add a sophisticated global flair to her pop compositions. In fact, she describes the EP as an exploration of “prayer, unity, and cultural identity” inspired by her own Spanish and Filipino heritage. In that sense, we might interpret the release as a part of Michellar’s quest to discover her identity by exploring and embracing her own roots.
But Michellar deftly balances out spirituality with carnality. The phrase “Mi Alma Latina” is also a term of endearment used to refer to a Latina lover, and there’s plenty of romance in this album. In a way, it seems to be a love letter from Michellar to Latin music and culture, drawing from her own heritage to enhance its raw sincerity.
Mi Alma Latina was both a labor of love and a deeply personal project for Michellar, but it was not one she undertook alone. Singer Christina Rntd and Lloyd Miller of Spirit Song Studios also join her on her adventure, and their soaring voices complement Michellar’s musical eccentricities in the best way.
The album opens on the spiritual side of things with a version of “The DEEP,” a song Michellar originally released in 2024. It’s a haunting rumination on soul-searching using the ocean as its central image. The lyrics describe a quest for self-discovery and spiritual awakening which brings the narrator to the seaside. As she contemplates the depths of the sea, she also contemplates the depths within herself, finally arriving at a renewed sense of liberation and resilience.
While the original version of the song was soft acoustic ballad, the new one comes with the parenthetical “Latin version.” It’s just as haunting as the original, but with an exotic new flavor. A Latin rhythm and a recurring piano melody enhance its mysterious quality, seeming to imitate the ebb and flow of a gentle tide. Christina Rntd provides the vocals, and she has the perfect voice for it – dark and mysterious, but full of passion, just like the sea.
The next track, which is the first of three to feature Lloyd Miller on vocals, continues the theme of spirituality and piety. The title, “Ave Maria,” refers to a well-known Catholic prayer, and the song tells a story of finding God and taking comfort in faith. What strikes me most about this song is the vulnerability expressed in lines like “He came and saw my face at the door,” and “I go to Him when I’m in pain.” Miller comes from a Christian music background, and it’s this earnest display of faith that makes the song so compelling. Every time he repeats the song’s title, his voice seems to grow stronger and more emotional.
Like the rest of the tracks on the album, “Ave Maria” is spiced up with a poignant Latin flavor, and in my opinion, that’s what gives it its dynamic warmth. The pronounced rhythm, sprinkled liberally with the sound of a classical Spanish guitar, gives the song it’s tenderness and makes it much less cold and sterile than your average European church hymn. Michellar and Miller seem to feel that the best way to handle sacred matters is with rawness and intimacy, and the result is chillingly beautiful.
Lloyd Miller also takes the lead vocal on the following track, “Samba with Me,” which moves us from the spiritual to sensual. “Samba with Me” is a bittersweet love song about a fleeting romantic moment, and for me, it’s the catchiest and most memorable song on the EP. With the swaying ease of a Brazilian samba, Lloyd Miller serenades with tender lines like “Samba with me tonight / While there is still the moonlight / Soon will be gone / Just like the sound of your heart with mine.” Meanwhile, Michellar harmonizes gently in the background with a voice that sounds like a flute melody or birdsong, setting the romantic scene.
Overall, “Samba with Me” comes across as a sentimental aubade, an intimate moment between two lovers who want to enjoy all the time they have before they just part. In keeping with this theme, it’s not a song that demands analysis or overthinking. It’s simply there to be enjoyed.
The EP closes out with a final love song, “If It’s Only For One Night,” expertly crooned by Lloyd Miller. Similar to the previous track, it’s a song about the fleeting glory of love, and how even one night can make a lifetime’s worth of difference. This is shown through the passionate chorus, “Love me if it’s only for one night, if it’s only for one night / Love me, love me, love me tonight.” While many love songs extol the virtues of forever, this song is happy with whatever time it gets, because sometimes only one night is enough.
Carrying the imagistic poetry of the song’s lyrics, the Spanish classical guitar reemerges, this time backed by a sentimental string orchestra. It has all the romance of an old standard with a Latin flair that breathes new life into a timeless conceit, leaving a sweet taste in your mouth to conclude the EP.
Michellar is an artist who has always prioritized creativity over convention. With Mi Alma Latina, she’s showing off her genuine passion for her craft, experimenting with new sounds to create fresh textures. One of the biggest virtues of Mi Alma Latina is its cohesion. Michellar establishes a distinctive sound on the first track and recontextualizes it with every song. Recurring themes like faith, self-discovery, and mindfulness form the string of continuity that ties each track together. I recommend listening to the entire thing in one sitting and taking in each piece as a part of a larger whole.
Mi Alma Latina is above all else an emotional album. It’s one that’s meant to be felt rather than thought about, and if Michellar’s goal is to rediscover the universal language of music, she’s going about it in exactly the right way.
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