Back in July, Manchester singer-songwriter Alex Spencer released his second EP ‘There’s Gotta Be More’ via Modern Sky UK Records. Following 2023’s eye-catching ‘One Step Forward’ EP, can Spencer maintain the promise?
Image & artwork courtesy of This Feeling & Modern Sky UK
Where former tracks ‘One Step Forward’ and ‘One Way Ticket’ leant into Jamie Webster and Catfish & The Bottlemen, Spencer’s debut EP showed on ‘Waiting For The Change’ that he would soon unfurl his own archetypal sonic, a clash of the raw and angelic.
The clashing styles inform most of the new EP in style. Opener ‘Love and Let Go’ beset with regret and bitterness, is soundtracked with Kyle Falconer fronting a Blossoms tune. On ‘Nightmares’, Spencer’s romantic regret threatens to spill over (“I don’t expect you to care but inside it’s a war”) as his demons take control. The Bombay Bicycle Club circa ‘A Different Kind of Fix’ percussion and the moonlit math rock noodling on guitar add the shades of light this all-consuming record needs to keep you afloat.
The title track, with its exploratory jagged licks, evokes the late 00s and early ‘10s indie sounds of Foals, BBC, Little Comets, and Two Door Cinema Club. Spencer exquisitely cuts through this with the directness of his label mate Webster and a smoky Elliot Smith drawl.
The newfound directness excels on ‘Fear Will The Kill Future’, giving the EP its moment of glory. Tom Clarke's righteous indignation is put through an Elliott Smith prism of purity and wistful inspiration with further flourishes of Falconer. Bands should draw battle lines; they should be clear and fought upon with violent passion. It’s a trickier prospect for solo artists. Without the gang mentality, there's a danger of a messianic complex clouding the situation. Spencer has developed an eloquent blueprint to lift others up and march forward with them on the EP’s closer.
Spencer opens the main stage at Bridling Spa for This Feeling’s second By The Sea festival this Saturday. He was chosen by Radio X new music guru John Kennedy. Click the image for tickets
