Alex Lopez
By Mike O’Cull
Blues/rock guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter Alex Lopez comes off like the emerging star he is on his new record Rising Up. The set comes out May 7th, 2021 on the Maremil label and is Lopez’s fifth release as a solo artist. Rising Up features 11 new original songs built around a stylistic core of straight-ahead blues, rock, and soul sounds tracked live right off the floor by Lopez on guitar and vocals backed up by his band The Xpress (Kenny Hoye on keyboards, Steve Roberts on bass, and Kana Leimbach on drums). Gulf coast singers Latonya Oliver (Soul Sensations) and Dana Merriwether add sweet background vocals and co-producer/engineer George Harris also contributed some guitar and songwriting work. Together, everyone involved made a killer contemporary blues/rock album that’s tight, well-executed, and multifaceted.
Originally from Cleveland, Alex Lopez has steadily become a mighty figure in the Florida blues scene. He began his musical life on keyboards but soon was captivated by classic British blues/rock and made the switch to guitar. His influences include Clapton, Hendrix, and Page but Lopez is his own man and picks the music up where those greats left it. In September of 2013, Alex released the self-produced album Back Bedroom Blues and began his career as a solo artist. Since then, Lopez has grown exponentially as a musician, drawn international recognition and critical acclaim, and made his presence known on the blues, jam band, and Americana charts. He’s turned in sizzling performances at important music festivals in the Southeast region and is ready to elevate his game and become a worldwide power.
The new record opens with the fierce “Light It Up.” The track is a muscular bit of old-school riff rock rendered in a Led Zeppelin-informed style that’s timeless and tough. Lopez soars on lead vocals while his guitar keeps things churning underneath. His soloing is fluid, bold, and melodic, however, and keeps the song in Alex’s own creative space. “Paradise” is a hard-driving rock shuffle that’s become a crucial part of Lopez’s live set. The wide-open groove gives him more room to roam on both vocals and guitar and his lyrical message of finding a new, better life is immediately engaging. Expect to hear this one on the radio a lot for the rest of this year.
Lopez’s title song “Rising Up” is the centerpiece of these sessions. It’s an uplifting rocker that stretches and undulates until it shows everything he and this group of players can do. “What I love about the song is that it’s all there: a great groove, a killer riff, a blues approach, and a progressive middle plus a gospel chorus to go with the message,” said Alex. It’s an impressive, physical track with the mojo needed to grab a crowd by the scruff and get it moving. It’s exactly the sort of redemption song many of us need to hear right now.
On “I’m Always Wrong,” Lopez takes a smooth, old-school attitude. He and the group tap into the traditional jazz/blues sound of Frank Sinatra, Buddy Rich, and the Big Band era as a way of showing that there’s no kind of blues this bunch can’t put down. It’s a happy surprise among all the heavier cuts and shouldn’t be missed. “Mountain Rain” is an emotive acoustic number deep in the album’s sequence that is also required listening. Lopez again tips his hat to Zeppelin here, putting some delicate acoustic guitar in as a breath between grittier moments. This is Alex at his best, without a doubt. Be sure to also get down with “Anymore,” “Falling,” and “Smile.” Alex Lopez has a winner in his new record and it’s going to bring him to a much larger audience. If you’re hip, you’ll be part of it.
Listen to “Rising Up”
Pre-order link for Rising Up
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