Tommy Alexander “Basement Soul” Album Review
Tommy Alexander is a songwriter based out of Oregon. His music and the style and vibe I get from it is representative of what I envision when I think of the area. Quiet forests, heavy with secrets and green supported by the wet air. His songs are similar. Deep both in meaning and in his vocal delivery, and with each listen I find a little bit more about the enigma of this songwriter.
There is a Johnny Cash-like presence to Alexander’s voice. It commands your attention, deep and reverberating in the chest. This is especially evident in the very first breathe he takes in the lead off track “Joshua Tree”. He sings with a sincerity and grace that gives a nod to songwriters of yester-year, which I absolutely love and respect.
Driven heavily by an acoustic guitar and a voice. The rest of the instrumentation is great and adds to the mood, but it is obvious that the real star of the record is Tommy’s voice. The songwriting is also a high point. When words feel like they were written effortlessly, but at closer investigation it is clear they are introspective, poingnant, and the songwriter is baring their soul a bit, that is something special.
She said living is much easier than dying
And dying ain’t a part of this game
There ain’t nothing for you but a home here
Down on the Kentucky plain
I am hard pressed to find a favorite here. It seems with each listen I enjoy one song more and more. The simplicity and humble nature of the record really speak to me. This is a man, his words, and his guitar at the core and when that can speak to someone, it is a wonderful thing. With the presence that he puts forward in his voice, there is also a gentleness and cautious tentative feeling. It’s really quite brilliant.
