Girl at the Rock Shows

I haven’t been in the mood to write album reviews lately. I honestly don’t know what it is. Maybe stress, maybe exhaustion, maybe a combination. Regardless, I’ve found it hard to sit down and listen to an album in full but that changes now. I have too many amazing albums to share with you to continue putting it off so let’s start digging into this pile a bit starting with the album ‘déjà vu’ from NYC-based Alex August.

I found a sense of peace as “Talk” took over my house. This quick two minute track kicks off with a beautiful acoustic guitar lick that wastes no time in drawing you into Alex’s world. Spoken-word styled lyrics swirl around the guitar work while staying a bit hidden in the background. It’s almost a bit eerie but also absolutely stunning. The lyrics seem to get closer and closer as the song goes on as if they are coming out of the shadows and beckoning you to continue listening.

This calming vibe doesn’t continue as the album moves onto “ghost!”. I mean, I still find a sense of calm in this second track but it’s definitely way more amped up than “Talk” was. With classic pop-punk guitar happening and slamming drums, you finally get a taste of Alex’s vocals in this track and they are perfect. There’s still a very spoken-word storytelling style to them but this song sees a shift into what is Alex’s standard sound – an emo-pop-punk influenced style. There’s something almost a little rough about the recording quality of this track but I like the DIY style that it brings to the song. You can feel Alex’s heart throughout this track and I think that raw recording style has something to do with. It may not be a style for you but I’m here for it and hope it’s something that will continue on throughout this nine-track album.

Although you still get that raw feeling from “forever!”, Alex switches the style up again for this one and seems to split the difference between the first two tracks. This is a gorgeous track that is truly just drenched with emotion. There’s a clear emo influence in this song but also something a bit sadder than that (as if that’s possible). Although I found this track to be gorgeous, it was not a fit for my mood right now. This is going to have to be one of those songs that I keep in my back pocket for a rainy day when I want to get all kinds of lost in my feelings.

“Paloma” is a quick, thirty-seven second interlude that seems to mirror back to “Talk” giving the album a sort of flow but this was so quick and, before I knew it, we were back to Alex’s classic pop-punk vibe with “burning out!”. This was instantly a favorite of mine. “burning out!” has an almost folk-punk lean to it that reminded me of bands like Escape From the Zoo and Doom Scroll but with a clear pop-punk style behind it all. Lyrically, this song is genius. It’s more proof of Alex’s clear talent for weaving words together in a beautiful and impactful way but you know me, I’m not going to give it away! Just take a listen for yourself and enjoy!

The rollercoaster ride that is ‘déjà vu’ continue as “over u!” brings the album back to something a bit more somber and full of heart. Much like “forever!”, this song just didn’t fit my mood but I was completely captivated by this one. There’s so much movement throughout this song that it’s truly impressive. I loved the way that parts seemed to pop in and out of the spotlight throughout the song. The vocals aren’t perfect but that adds a sense of charm to this track and, again, gives this song a very raw feeling which is hard to get out of just a recording. Alex somehow has no problem pulling that off and that’s something that is absolutely stunning.

“Ready” continues to explore that more spoken-word style laid out in “Talk” and “Paloma” but expands on it. At just under two-and-a-half minutes, you really get to see Alex take on this style and, again, it is done so well. It’s honestly a bit of a wildcard style when looking at this album as a whole but, then again, this whole album is a bit all over the place so it works and helps give the album a cohesive feeling.

The way “Ready” blends into “bliss, manyfold!” is genius and I felt like I finally gave into Alex’s somber side as this eighth song played. There was a little Brand New vibe from this track that I got. It’s almost a little eerie and haunting but still beautiful and full of life. Slow and somber with ambient noise that sounds a little like the sounds of a bustling downtown, I loved the tenderness that you get from not only the way Alex fit the words into the track but also the word selection in general.

The ‘déjà vu’ roller coaster ride ends with “Mandarin Lime” which ends just the way I wanted it to. It brings back the guitar part heard in “Talk” but with a much fuller sound. Everything in this track just feels a bit more amped up from the strumming on the guitar to the vocals yet they aren’t much different from the opening song. I feel like it just has a different kind of strength behind it that makes it a perfect way to bring this ride full circle.

‘déjà vu’ is not what some would consider to be a “perfect album” but I thought it was perfect for Alex August. Alex has a distinct style that pulls at your heartstrings and makes you feel everything and nothing at the same time. Sure, I breezed through some of these songs just due to them not hitting the way I think they were meant to but this will absolutely be an album that I go back to time and time just due to the sheer emotional power that comes with every track.

Alex August on Instagram

Shameless Self Promotion:

Join My Patreon Here!

Buy Me a Coffee (Seriously!)

Check out my playlist with this track and a bunch of other amazing tracks HERE!