Here comes the reign of Wes Alexander
April 25th, 2008
When you meet Wes Alexander, he has an unassuming quality to his presence. He is nice, considerate, and definitely not one to grandstand in a group or inject himself into the middle of conversation. It comes as quite a shock to watch him step behind the microphone and transform into a performer of powerful charisma. Singing in a raspy sorrowful voice, he spins his tales in a rough blues style. Fortunately the writing of his material is a close match to his stage presence.
With the release of his second album “Here comes the rain”, he has certainly grown as a performer. While the material feels like a continuation on a lot of the same subjects as his first album, his vocal style has developed considerably. I believe this is nowhere more evident then the song “Angeline”. It is a heart retching song of misfortune that rips itself out from his core and pushes him to his limits. While it isn’t the album’s title song, I certainly feel that it was his crown achievement. Few singers in this age of ‘top 20 pop’ can produce that kind of emotional delivery.
The production quality of his albums has also taken a great leap forward with “Here comes the rain”. Produced by John MacArthur Ellis of Barney Bentall & Be Good Tanyas fame, it was mastered at the very well known Suite Sound Labs. Definitely a smart decision as the album came out fantastic, polished, and well mixed. While his first album was a solo performance, he wrangled together an excellent band for this second foray. The accompaniment gave the album a lot more depth, particularly for such songs as “Rattlesnake Shake”, which gleams a lot of its fun charm from the percussion.
For a next album, I would like to see more of a departure in source material. While songs about whiskey, the devil, and Memphis never get old, I think that he should keep moving forward at this point and branch out from such traditional anchors.
Wes is a frequent performer at the Yale Hotel and The Railway club, and has become a vital component of the blues scene in Vancouver. If you are one who enjoys the emotional torrents of such music, then you definitely don’t want to miss him perform live.
www.under411.com
‘Here Comes The Rain’ is a worthy addition to Vancouver’s roots scene. Wes Alexander’s stylistic range covers not just the blues, but blends in Americana and swamp-pop influences. He has a winning way with lyrics. The brooding and atmospheric songs often tell vivid stories. – Paul Norton CFRO ‘One O’Clock Jump’ and CiTR ‘Code Blue’.
Paul Norton
www.myspace.com/paulnorton
CFRO 102.7 fm – One O’Clock Jump
www.coopradio.org
CiTR 101.9 – Code Blue
© Wes Alexander 2007
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