Fort Worth soul/R&B singer, guitarist and all-around good dude, Abraham Alexander, dropped a new single, “Lovers Game,” which serves as a teaser for his upcoming self-titled EP.
The tune, which you can play/download/add to quirky playlists on whatever your preferred music streaming service may be, expertly mixes modern studio techniques with an old-school vibe — a retro synth opening line juxtaposing a gospel vocal delivery — and puts Alexander's strong smoky voice front and center.
A departure from his 2017 single “America,” a response to the killing of five Dallas police officers, “Lovers Game” shows the singer/songwriter is not afraid to reach into his nearly infinite bag of influences.
“I sat on the idea for a while because it was so far out there,” Alexander says. “It's very retro yet also futuristic because the message of the song is all the perpetual things and relationships, the good and the bad, that we keep going through.”
And the contrasting styles between his two releases is a sign of an upcoming EP — recorded at London's Abbey Road Studios (yeah, that Abbey Road) and due at the end of summer — that will deliver a hodgepodge of musical styles.
“My first EP is not going to sound cohesive,” he says. “You'll get a taste of my musical space, my journey and what I've cultivated. You'll see how I'm learning, how I'm transcending and how I'm evolving.”
Alexander, who consistently tops local up-and-comers lists, was one of the burgeoning artists selected to perform at Visit Fort Worth's wonderfully curated two-day exhibit, Fort Worth on Rainey, at SXSW. And the up-and-comer label is something he revels.
“I'll always be up and coming,” Alexander says. “I'll always have that mentality. I'll always be driven and humble, and those two ingredients will be essential. I'll never want to lose the taste of being hungry and wanting more.
“I want to be the dumbest person in the room, you know? I want to gain knowledge; I'm always trying to soak in as much info as possible.”
The single and self-titled EP — self-titled because Alexander says “it's me, it's right now and it's where I'm driving energies and inspiration from” — are in preparation for his forthcoming full-length debut, which Alexander says will be a more cohesive collection of tunes.
“When the body of work shows up, you'll have the different elements,” Alexander explains. “But I want my voice to carry through all genres if possible and for it to be a universal instrument. Every song is going to have two or three elements that are cohesive, and that's what's going to blend [the album] together.”
Next, Alexander will perform at the MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival on April 11 before heading back to London to continue recording.