Reviews
Artist:Alex Seel Album: All Sails To The Sun
Label: Self Released
Tracks: 10
Website: https://www.alexseel.com/
If it's true that those who talk the loudest have the least to say, then Alex Seel is an artist who must be worth listening to. While many artists wrap their words up with music that makes an attack on the senses, Seel is the master at the understated performance. His fingers seem to pluck at the strings effortlessly and mesmerically, and his softly sung lyrics contain a deceptive weight to them. The result is an album that is full of elegance and moments of enchanting beauty.
All Sails To The Sun kicks off with the lead single from the album, No Goodbyes, which is a song that many of us will relate to. It's a track full of longing, about leaving the drudgery of the nine to five existence behind to explore new horizons that would prove more beneficial to the soul. It's a simple track but all the more powerful because of it. Luna Star is another of the singles, with a little more going on in terms of arrangement. There's a soft drum roll that keeps the momentum going, and a real potency to the vocals in a song that feels almost gospel-folk.
There's a wonderful touch of the blues about Wishbone. It zips along at a wonderful pace, and it's a real foot-tapper of a song. One of the highlights arrives with the already released Circula, which is a real sonic experience from start to finish. It's by some distance the longest track on the album, yet never comes close to outstaying its welcome. With the soundscapes mostly front and centre with the vocals slightly in the background, there's something quite hypnotic at play, like a led mediation exercise.
Prayer To The Ancestors is another highlight on the album, this time with the focus mostly on Seel's vocals talents. While Seel's guitar playing tends to get a lot of attention, not enough is made of his lyrical prowess, but Prayer is surely one of his best. It has a poetic quality to it that is really quite breath-taking.
While Alex Seel has been slowly gathering an impressive following, on this form it's hard to understand why he isn't (yet) one of the biggest names on the circuit. There are few artists out there that have his ability with either guitar or lyrical turn of phrase. If there's any justice, All Sails To The Sun will see him garnering the attention and acclaim he so richly deserves.
Adam Jenkins
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