IndieShark Music News, Reviews & Interviews
When passion, discipline, and talent collide, the effect is combustible. Few releases in recent memory demonstrate that better than Rob Alexander’s mammoth 2023 pop masterpiece Young Man’s Eyes.
Anyone who has followed Alexander’s journey up to this point knows that he’s been building to this moment. His preceding releases are noteworthy efforts in their own right and each new collection has engineered a near quantum leap from its predecessor. However, the baker’s dozen worth of tracks on Young Man’s Eyes is a watershed deserving of the Album of the Year award for multiple reasons.
He manages to convincingly be all things to all listeners. Young Man’s Eyes doesn’t depend on the heartfelt balladry that Alexander has produced with such singular skill but instead serves up such moments alongside biting rock, kaleidoscopic pop, challenging arrangements, and an elastic sense of the possible.
Another reason is that Alexander is truly his own artist, at last. Young Man’s Eyes successfully assimilate his influences in a way its predecessors don’t always manage, filters them through his consciousness and personal experiences, resulting in songwriting and performances with no clear-cut antecedent. He owns the moment, and it is his alone.
(2023) ALBUM OF THE YEAR – Rob Alexander “Young Man’s Eyes” (LP)
His taste in collaborators pays off handsomely. His duet with longtime respected vocalist Gigi Worth on the album’s first single “Get Over Yourself” served immediate notice that something special was in the offing. Alexander, transformed, made it clear that playtime was over and he stood ready to confront listeners in ways previous material never broached.
Accomplishing this while maintaining a thriving medical practice is another feather in his cap. Despite laboring under extraordinary demands on his time, Rob Alexander’s Young Man’s Eyes never feels or sounds rushed. He sounds like he began the recording process hearing a specific sound in his head for each of the thirteen songs and attacked nailing each performance with a sense of purpose bordering on fanatical. There are no missed opportunities.
It is extraordinarily rare to hear an album, especially in the pop realm, where you perceive no identifiable holes. Recruiting top-notch musicians to help him realize his musical ambitions serves Alexander well, but the alumni from Elton John’s touring band and other guest stars aren’t present because the check cleared. They’re here because they believe. They hear the glorious sound that escapes Alexander when he opens his mouth to sing and they want to be a part of his journey.
It is a journey that is far from over. Young Man’s Eyes, however, is far from just another mile marker on that voyage. It’s a seminal moment when a splendid butterfly emerges from its cocoon and takes flight through the air. It’s that spectacular moment that music devotees are familiar with when it all comes together for a band or solo artist.
It’s a no-brainer to bestow Rob Alexander’s Young Man’s Eyes with IndieShark’s 2023 Album of the Year award. It has been a long time coming, but the best part is that he isn’t done. We may do this many more times before the book closes on this career. We say, bring it on.
Read my original review posted back in July 2023: https://indieshark.com/awards/pick-of-the-week/rob-alexander-young-mans-eyes-lp/
Once again congratulations to Rob Alexander for his amazing Album “Young Man’s Eye’s”#robalexanderalbumoftheyear
