Leeds, England artist Alex Carrie isn\u2019t endowed with all of the qualities one might consider essential for producing a bubbly dance record, but he has created just that, and done it quite splendidly for the most part, on his debut album Honeymoon<\/i>.<\/p>\n
For instance, Carrie sounds just the way he looks. His \u201cHindu Sadhu\u201d beard doesn\u2019t necessarily scream happy and carefree music, and neither do his rough vocals, which feel suited for an expletive-filled rowdy discussion of sports over many-a-beer. So when he tries to \u201csex it up\u201d on \u201cHoney, I Feel Like Sinning,\u201d with his auto-tuned vocals, he sounds creepy.<\/p>\n
He fares better on \u201cMoon,\u201d \u201cHard On You,\u201d and \u201cStill Love.\u201d No doubt, these are prosaic pop songs with cutesy lyrics that might fit a boy band, but feel off-kilter for of a gruff, amply-bearded man… Still, with smart beats (that include horn instrumentation used for rhythm), these tracks aren\u2019t bad at all. On the other hand, \u201cYou\u2019re So Cool\u201d is the only number of the poppy variety where Carrie\u2019s singing actually works, making this one of the strongest cuts on the Honeymoon<\/i>.<\/p>\n
Carrie is an excellent beat maker. With this talent, he can turn any number on its head, as brilliantly exhibited on \u201cEvil Twin,\u201d which is plagued by the ungodly combination of Carrie\u2019s barbaric vocals, puerile lyrics, and peppy song mood. But with his crackerjack beat arrangements with its playful \u201cmarching band\u201d feel, the awkwardness of the track ultimately becomes a distant thought as you find yourself helplessly moving your body to its spellbinding catchiness.<\/p>\n