Rob Alexander - Long Road Coming Home

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/robalexandermusic/

South Floridians know Rob Alexander as a well-regarded doctor, a faculty member at Florida Atlantic University’s College of Medicine, and an all-around amiable man and member of the community. Music fans have been getting to know him in an entirely different way this year thanks to his debut album Long Road Coming Home, which so far has spawned four singles, the most recent of which being the title track. “Long Road Coming Home” capture’s the same good-natured character that members of Rob’s family and community have always known him to be, but in the most defiantly soulful way possible. His music is an amalgamation of the softer side of classic rock and adult contemporary, and alongside producer and multi-instrumentalist mastermind Gabe Lopez he unleashes pure pop magic in this bitterly emotive gem.

Long Road Coming Home is a very complex record, but its centerpiece title track is actually one of its simpler and on-point offerings. It isn’t as sprawling and textured as some of the other material on the album, but it’s by far the most riveting. Rob croons tender words against a slow churning beat, each one of his lyrics spilling through the speakers like immaculate paints onto a canvas. He’s got every opportunity in the world to go over the top as he lumbers towards the chorus, but he restrains himself, allowing for the song to go on at an even tempo rather than suddenly flying off the rails. His discipline is something to be marveled at, especially considering that we’ve been living in somewhat reckless times for pop music.

YOU TUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjsR5vSRwZU3THa6YH2nXbQ

Rob’s an amazing singer and songwriter, but his harmonies are what grab my attention more than anything else in this single. “Long Road Coming Home” isn’t particularly elaborate, as previously stated, but what makes it so magnetically alluring is its boldly orchestrated harmonies between Rob and the music. Gabe Lopez did a fine job of cleaning up the track to make every nook and cranny of the verses intoxicatingly inviting and earnest, and I think his work on this single is just as attentive as the artist’s is. I seriously hope this is the first of many collaborative adventures that they embark on together; they have awesome chemistry in this song and throughout the entirety of Long Road Coming Home.

I would love to hear this track live, particularly in an acoustic setting with just Rob and a guitar or a piano to assist him. He possesses a kind of raw skill that you can’t teach in a school or practice into existence; it’s something that comes naturally. He’s making the most of his abilities in this single, and I think he’s definitely on the right trajectory towards accomplishing what he set out to do with Long Road Coming Home in general. Singles, especially early on, are crucial to getting an artist the exposure that’s required to warrant making more than one album, and I think this one gives listeners a full-fledged sampling of what they can expect out of Rob Alexander in his future recordings.

I-TUNES: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/long-road-coming-home/1348846070

Bethany Page approved and posted by Mindy McCall

Abby Zotz drops some Honey

DEEZER: https://www.deezer.com/us/album/69628302

These are songs examining human experience with a balanced eye rather than making hay from its despair alone. Abby Zotz’s Local Honey never overindulgences listener’s good graces and the focus Zotz brings to exploring those themes makes this songwriting an even more invigorating experience. The extensive history she has working in folk and traditional music traditions has primed her to branch off from its narrow purist formula and make something unique from its inherent strengths. There are a number of effective turns throughout the album, never filling any one song too heavily, and varying from song to song. “Stability” has fewer of those moments than many of the later songs, but it gets Local Honey off to a solid start and builds momentum that sustains listeners all the way until the end. The smooth, gliding beauty of Zotz’s vocal performance is one of its most remarkable moments.

“Stability” gives this album an effortless uplift from the first and the orchestration of its various musical elements proves to be a well shaped frame for its writing. The songwriting explores a familiar theme, but she weaves it together in her own language without regard for past songs covering the same area. You can hear, in the space of one song, the passion she has for this material. The next song “Big Hope” carries that to another level and it’s tailored well to the expanded possibilities of its arrangement. The organ playing running throughout the song even takes a moment in the spotlight with a brief solo and sets this song far apart from the other material on Local Honey. It may be my peak moment for the album.

The growl of electric guitar and organ embellishments disappear as soon as they arrive, but we’re rewarded with the near 180 turn into the gospel trappings of “Peace Sweet Peace”. There’s no preaching in this tune, instead, it’s a heartfelt cry, and Zotz gives herself over to the song with just the right amount of commitment. The later tune “All Through the Night” has a distinctly old fashioned melodic flavor, but the venerable swing of the vocal melody and its accompanying piano hooks me in to follow along. There’s a cinematic quality to the way the piano leads us, heads up, through emotional tailwinds elegantly stated throughout. “See Your Face” is an abrupt shift and has a much stronger commercial pop edge, but it never takes short cuts or relies on overly obvious melodies.

“You’ll Never Know” has a retro feel, bluesy without ever laying it on too thick and Zotz delivers a stylized vocal throughout every line. There’s a light amount of humor running through the song, but it’s balanced well against a strongly human element in the writing and performance alike. Local Honey brings the extent of Abby Zotz’s talents into keener focus than any of her previous work and shows she’s one of the best singer/songwriters working in the traditional/Americana music scene today. It’s not difficult to imagine this solo debut represents the first chapter of a rewarding new phase in her musical career.

I-TUNES: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/local-honey/1420231383

Zachary Rush