By Chris Stevens
The secret is out…sort of.
Alex Isley’s major label debut EP WHEN has drawn long overdue widespread attention to her soothing vocal talents and clever songwriting skills.
The daughter of legendary Isley Brothers guitarist Ernie Isley, Alex has forged her own path through sweet and authentic meditations on love, relationships, romance and sex.
WHEN, distributed by Free Lunch and Warner Records, puts the full package on display in just six songs, with various producers of note.
“Ms. Goody Two Shoes” is the standout track and likely to become an anthem for women who wear many hats by day and take everything off at night…for a chosen person, of course.
Produced by rising star Camper, “Ms. Goody Two Shoes” is a self-assured woman laying down some ground rules before a blissful evening for a lucky lover.
“She is everything you can imagine, no you won’t believe it when it happens,” Alex sings with the quiet confidence of a seasoned vet in sexuality. “Yes, it’s immaculate and it’s magic, thank your lucky stars I’ma let you have it.”
I felt lucky just listening to it. Whew.
Another Camper track, “Hands” is also destined for after-hours playlists across the world. This song is “Distant Lover” for Millennials and Gen-Z as Alex is missing her lover’s touch, but reminds them that “this could slip away, if you let it.”
Another song that flexes Alex’s vocal abilities is the Kaytranada-helmed “Mic On”. Even her mid-tempo songs have a level of sultriness that can’t be denied.
Kaytra’s signature drum sound doesn’t intrude but backs up Alex’s bragging like a crew of homegirls celebrating the woman of the hour.
Oh Gosh is responsible for the last two tracks, the vulnerable “Fool’s Gold” and introspective “Thank You For A Lovely Time” while longtime collaborator Jack Dine produces the opener “Holding On,” a Marigold-like introduction to anyone who may not have been familiar with Alex Isley.
As far as EPs and major-label coming out parties go, you would be hard-pressed to find a suite of songs that better introduces an artist to a wider audience.
WHEN is a brilliant EP for women wise enough to look out for the red flags, yet they remain optimistic and hopeful that love, romance and good sex can be found, cherished and held onto in this lifetime.
Music fans often lament when their favorites get major label backing and wider audiences because they feel said wider audience doesn’t appreciate the art and artists the way the original fanbase does.
However, Alex Isley’s talent is too good to just keep to a select few. She deserves all the recognition she has earned and the support of her original fans and the new ones she will make along the way.
Basically, it was never a matter of “if.”
Just WHEN.
