British singer/multi-instrumentalist Conor Alexander dropped his debut album “The Magnetic People” on the 17th of July and it’s the mix between 90s British alternative and old-school rock you’d always wish for. All written and recorded at Conor Alexander’s home studio in The West Midlands, it’s a record about love and relationships all wrapped with rocking tunes in a nice sound trip.
“The Magnetic People” kick starts with the incredibly psychedelic intro of “Good Looking Girls”, it’s heavily influenced by early progressive rock with its multilayering and big sound. It shifts dramatically into an energetic full-of-life tune with some punk influences, a great groove, and a super catchy chorus. With an old-school rocking riff “The Man with the Metal Heart” starts. It has an unmistakable groove with an outstanding bassline and I loved how warm the vocals sounded. “Closer to the Girl” picks up the pace and even made it faster, I loved the guitar tone and those surf rock riffs got me hooked from the start. Around the 2:50 minutes mark, they start turning things down and getting into an interesting improvisational-like part that keeps on getting better and better until it takes us to the outro. “The Replacements” offer a more diverse sound and more developed dynamic structure. It has the same core and identity but, felt like Conor is willing to expand his sound and experiment more. “Killing Me” and “20” came right in the middle of the record creating a brief break from energetic riffs and hyped dynamics, until “Kamizake Pilot” kicks in. “Kamizake Pilot” hits you in the face with an exploding riff and fat bass, it keeps on going relentlessly with sky-rocketing dynamics while the drums had a jazzy twist that made it shine. With a playful mood and moving guitar melodies comes “Anywhere Else”. A fun tune with bright melodies and a colorful mood. “Plan of Action” is my favorite off the album, it starts with a groovy catchy bassline, a cool drum beat, and clean guitars before getting into a laidback verse with deep vocals. It has the perfect guitar tone and a balanced guitar-bass conversation with a diverse vocal delivery that kept it interesting. “Becoming Magnetic” felt like Conor Alexander’s talents exploding. It sums up a lot of the mood and spirit of the album with its fast riffs, groovy bass, intense drumming, and the vocal harmonies were pretty cool.
“The Magnetic People” is full of character and shows Conor Alexander’s clear vision of his sound and style, the lines and melodies are well thought out and in great harmony, while the record’s overall dynamics are in total balance. Totally worth checking out and I’ll be looking forward to more. Cheers!
