Alex Blizzy - A Step Behind (2023)

On April 28th, Nashville-based Americana/alt-country singer-songwriter Alex Blizzy releases his debut album, A Step Behind, a nine-track collection of songs blending savours of old and modern into shimmering, enticing melodies.

Produced by Blizzy, mixed by Eric Weinberg, and mastered by Bill Wolf, the album features Alex Blizzy on vocals and guitars, Aaron Liao (bass), Caleb Gillbreath (drums, percussion), Andy Ellis Valdini (Hammond B3 organ), Kate Atanian (backing vocals), Hamilton Belk (dobro), Rachel Leia (piano), and Evan Phillips (guitar).

The title track opens the album, rolling out on glimmering guitars riding an emerging rhythm made up of a side-stick snare and throbbing bassline. Blizzy’s twang-lite voice gives the lyrics delicious rhinal timbres that add to rather than detract from the melody.

“I guess I’m always a step behind / It’s hard to get a step ahead / Never quite right on time / I’m always on the losin’ end.”

Along with “A Step Behind,” arguably the best track on the album, entry points include the slow, gliding undulation of “The Wrong End of Goodbye,” with its braying organ and nomadic guitar licks, infusing the tune with bluesy, wandering auras.

“Comin’ For You” kicks off on driving guitars atop tight, crunching percussion, delivering a pushing country-rock tune highlighted by the glow of Valdini’s Hammond B3. For some reason, “Culture King” summons up memories of Tom Petty, travelling on washes of gleaming guitars, discharging tints of country rock laced with heartland flavours.

The final track, “Never Felt Better,” features softer, indulgent surfaces, infusing the song with warm, tender surfaces. Rife with creamy tones, Blizzy displays the gentler compass of this voice.

With A Step Behind, Alex Blizzy offers a first-class array of alt-country, authentic and unpretentious, underscored by sonic charm.