CD Review: The Saint by Alex The Great

In modern times, if you are anybody that has something and you want somebody to see it, the internet is step one. Now you want your product to rise above and stand out. Product name is very important. If you made a movie and called it Oreo there is no chance anybody looking for it will ever find it. If some kid in Brazil read an article about you in the latest issue of Independente Filme Brasil and he is just busting to find more information on you and your stupendous film, all he will find is Nabisco advertisements.

I did a Google search for the band Alex The Great and was bombarded by endless links regarding Alexander the Great. He was the king of Macedonia. Are you familiar with his work?
Alex The Great is an indie-rock band from Brighton, UK. Their 4 song EP “The Saint” is pretty fucking impressive. I am going to state the negative first. Their lyrics are not that great. The band’s BIO is equally, un-interestingly written. When I heard this CD and was instantly drawn to it, I wanted to learn some facts about this band, their achievements, previous releases, or even just stories/anecdotes about the process of recording this album. Instead what I got was hyperbole such as “each musician brings a sense of individuality to every song, creating a sound that is truly unique.” I really like this CD, but as far as being truly unique, it could easily be compared to the band America or World Party.

With the EP title being “The Saint” and songs 1,2,3 being The Saint I, The Saint II, and The Saint III it appears to be a concept album. Track 1 comes across like a “Father of Mine” type of song, but the other two aren’t clear in meaning. I would speculate that it is a concept CD, but too personal to interpret.

So letting go of that, and moving past it, great vocals, harmonies that hook you, and top-notch musicianship completely over shadow the lyrics. The songwriting (melodies, and instrumentation) is beautiful. This album teeters on amazing, dipping towards it, and almost touching.

There are a lot of “new folk” or “Americana” bands out there right now, and acoustic music is hot. This is not that. These are sounds that create airy dreamscapes, a controlled energy demonstrating power rock via soft exposure.

Today, artist development is virtually dead. Did you know R.E.M. was almost unknown until their 5th album “Document”, and it wasn’t until their 6th album “Green” that a large part of the population knew who they were? Despite that, their record label (IRS) released an album a year, every year between 1983 and 1988 until they blew up huge. Today labels expect the quick fix, and to be fair, musicians also expect instant gratification. Often if a band doesn’t get recognized quickly, the members will want to move on to another project with the hopes the new one will have that magic.

Alex The Great is a young band. If they stay together and grow together, they are capable of making something significant. I look forward to hearing their future efforts.

Sample it, and buy it.