Rob Alexander is an experienced medical profession by trade but listening to his third solo album Dream Out Loud and its latest single “Olivia” makes a strong case that his life is off-course. We must assume the Florida native is only a part-time singer/songwriter at this point, so let us hope he makes so much money that he can soon retire and devote himself full-time to music. He’s that good.
Anyone who considers themselves a fan of classic Elton John will rave about Alexander. He isn’t some Elton tribute act in disguise, this isn’t that sort of performer, but there’s no denying he’s utilizing songwriting attributes and a vocal persona reminiscent of the Rocket Man. If you dislike that sort of elevated AOR, never adolescent but conforming to a well-tested formula, this isn’t for you. It’s impossible to deny his talent though.
Alexander has a voice capable of blowing out speakers. It isn’t hard to imagine still hearing him throughout a venue if the power cut out for some reason. This doesn’t mean he’s a strictly powerhouse singer, however, as “Olivia” shows his outstanding flexibility. His finesse is apparent moving from the verses into the chorus and back again. There’s also a satisfying amount of emotional variety in his phrasing – avoiding a full-blast approach with his voice strikes a stark contrast. Some talented singers are like vocal bulldozers who believe their performance should dominate a song.
That isn’t the case here. It’s clear Alexander listened closely to the musical accompaniment. You can hear it in the transitions between verse and chorus, as the review mentioned before, and it’s also present in how the lines are wrapped around individual passages. Despite the care taken with marrying the vocal and arrangement, it sparks with spontaneity. It feels like he laid this vocal down on a hot first take and only a light amount of double-tracking affects his performance.
It’s the thumping rhythm section that grabs your attention musically. The bass hits much harder than the drums and the often one-two combination sets an authoritative tone for the song. You cannot deny this track’s presence. There’s some horn sounds incorporated into “Olivia”, as well, and gives the single an added bounce. A final winning touch for listeners is the keyboards dropping abbreviated melodic runs through the song.
Some people may roll their eyes a little at the idea of one more song titled about a woman. They should probably quit listening to music because that’s one tradition that won’t die so long as there’s still music. Alexander injects a tremendous amount of personal character into the track instead of churning out a dependable series of clichés and there isn’t a single leaden line. The lyrics have a strong percussive sound as well.
Rob Alexander is getting a lot of mileage from his third solo release and “Olivia” is great evidence why. The songwriting excellence defining the album from beginning to end is represented well by this vigorous single and it won’t be surprising if he isn’t done mining this collection for gems.
Troy Johnstone