Alex Carole And The Crush
Vol. 2: The Death of Alex Carole

Alex Carole and his Crush are back with another volume in their musical encyclopaedia, cleverly entitled Vol. 2 with the under-title The Death of Alex Carole. It follows the equally cleverly entitled debut Vol. 1. Swedish band who’s pressrelease state that they since the debut have been trying to focus their music and find the spot in the music world where their music has the most to offer. In other words trying to find their voice which is a voice that should stand out from the masses. They are presenting their work on this new album which is said to show the band in their fullest potential. Grande words from a band doing their own promotion and releasing their stuff on their own label. Nothing wrong with that of course but grande words can have a tendency to backfire if you don’t deliver on your promise.

”For the friends of cosmic boogie rock from the backside of the moon and powerpop from the grease pits in the garage Vol. 2 presents a collection of songs that best can be summarised as a manifest over what rock once was and is today.” Right… let me just get something… from my car. What about this strange statement? as far as I know the conditions on the far side of the moon is not that suitable for humans, do they listen to boogie rock from strange aliens that can handle the conditions and are musical? Or have Status Quo built a secret blue jeans and t-shirt facility on the far side of the moon where they record their stuff? Or did they mean something completely different when they wrote that thing? it does not really describe what we are dealing with though, I don’t know any friends of boogie rock from the backside of the moon, do you?

I would say it sounds like early eighties pop rock (kind of Cheap Tricky) with modern production and a slightly updated style of song writing. The singer is that kind of singer, classic pop-rock voice that might be slightly annoying to some but I think he is quite good. The production is good and modern, dirty enough to give the songs life and energy which is always a plus. Decent enough variation as well, and the songs are easily accessible and easy to get to know while still heaving enough depth to last from many repeated listens. I think we can conclude that it is a solid production, quite mature and well thought out.

It is a very good album as well, the songs are very good. You get into the album fast and it has a good longevity and has been a very good driving album for me for a while, enjoyable and relaxing while amongst those annoying people who should not drive when the temperatures near the freezing point - which means almost everyone living in the area where I live. But it is not only that, it is an album that you can sit back and relax while listening to it, kind of like you want rock music to sound - classic yet fresh. That is something not many bands manage to accomplish, especially those who try.

Picking a favourite song isn’t easy but I think the second track Get the Ghouls (Out of My Head) is a good candidate for that title. The beeping that start the song is a great thing, but also the catchy song itself that sets a good tone for the album. An album that from that point hold a solid high level where no songs really stand out one way or another. It is a very likeable album that I can recommend to anyone who likes classic rock music with a fresh twist. If the title is correct I would say that this sounds like a very appropriate swansong.

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