Alexander

Alexander

Vagrant Records

Release Date : March 1, 2011

Available at Amazon and iTunes

I am so glad it is 70 degrees in Dallas,  because Alex Ebert’s debut solo album, Alexander, is perfect for sunny, breezy weather. Most of you probably know Ebert’s work as lead singer/songwriter/messiah of the incredibly popular Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. If you are a fan of those guys, chances are you will love this album.

photo courtesy of Vagrant Records

As I listened to this album I couldn’t help but be reminded of folk rock acts popular in the 1960’s/70’s like Donovan and Dylan…the jangly guitars, the hand claps, the storytelling. Ebert played every instrument on this album, from guitars to violins…even a clarinet. The album is perfect to listen to straight through; songs meld from one to the next.

Songs like “In The Twilight” highlight Ebert’s strength as a songwriter. To skim the surface one may find a simple, knee slapping love song fit for a hootenanny. After a good soaking the story’s complexity reveals itself to be a slip and slide of love, friendship, life, and death. Ebert breaks out the folk-hop on lead single, “Truth.” Again, this song works on two levels. On the surface there is a song that is audibly compelling; the strolling melody, the whistle, the shaman-like whoops. Dig deeper and you find a story about coming to terms with one’s past. “Glimpses” is a touchingly tender track which arouses memories of Redding’s “These Arms of Mine.” Although the stories are radically different, there is a feeling of bareness and fragility that is beautiful.

This stunning debut is available now. Pick it up, press play, and forget the world for a spell.

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