Rating: ***
Rob Alexander has a lot of nerve trying to do things other than being the doctor that he is. He's really a doctor. A south Florida Anesthesiologist by trade, he gained some heat with his 2018 release "Long Road Coming Home" as a singer-songwriter with a strong pop edge and appeal.
Well he's back now with a new release "Being Myself". His bio comes with massive comparisons to Elton John. In fact he has three members of Elton John's band in his bad currently. That's pretty tight.
I'm gonna have an evening cup of coffee and have a listen. I will report back as I always do following the jump. Please stick around a read my thoughts won't you? It's not like you have anywhere else to be.
Stream "Being Myself" on Spotify here:
The first track "The Hollywood Road" is catchy enough and the Elton John vocal comparisons are legit. He sounds almost too spot-on in places. It's almost distracting. Title track "Being Myself" is a strong single contender and has a radio appeal to it. "We Own This Town Tonight" is pleasant but my goodness the Elton John-like vocal performance is almost satirical on this particular track. I promise I'll stop talking about it for a while. Next up is "Life as we Know It". This is probably my favorite cut so far. Super sing-along-able and you will find yourself humming it long after listening to it. "Never Gonna Let You Go" is a slower ballad and it's nice. Romantic tune with a short sax solo. I dig it. "Friend of Mine (Elton's Epic)" sounds a lot like the Elton John song "Blessed". This one is a bit of a tribute so I'll give the spot-on Reg impression a pass on this one. The tune itself is solid. "Our Love Will Last Forever" is predictably another ballad, and I venture to say that this one is stronger than the first one. It's got more nuance in the verse and one of the more memorable bridges on the album thus far. "We're Living in a Dream" and "Fed Up" are both solid album tracks that show a little diversity amongst the pop genre. "American Love Song" is a midtempo ballad that ended up being one of my least favorite tracks on the LP. Just not really interesting. "I-O-U" has a little more groove than the rest and it's a welcome change-of-pace. I like this one. "Another Love Affair" is a solid track but ultimately kinda forgettable, while "Secrets and Lies" has an early 80s, you guessed it, Elton John vibe to it. Nothing wrong with it. As we journey into the final part of the album, I'm hoping we have something to end strong on. "Kaden" is just that. A really beautiful tune with thoughtful lyrics and a tour de force vocal performance from Alexander. The final tune, "Loved By You" is another strong performance and a solid track overall. We did end strong here.
