It’s important to note that not all musical artists depict their social consciousness in the same way. Alex Lopez writing about the world he lives in, circa 2022, isn’t the same as Bono writing about it in the same year or any other politically minded singer/songwriter. Lopez knows how to connect those issues with listeners in plain-spoken language that reflects the world around them rather than sermonizing from his blues-rock ivory tower. Nasty Crime’s songs are essentially highly charged songs wrestling with life’s challenges in a way that outstrips issues and, instead, aims for the heart of what makes us who we are and how we live with one another. Those sorts of songs are built to last.
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You hear it from the outset that Lopez wants to make a lasting statement. Nasty Crime opens with the tone-setting “World On Fire” and it’s clear he’s intent on trying to come to grips with, in some way, the state of a world all of us face each day. It may seem a bit calculated to some how he plays so well into universal emotions here and elsewhere, but most will struggle to hear any inauthentic moments in the performance. The restless romp “Just Wait” is one of Nasty Crime’s better guitar showcases with a sturdy arrangement. Lopez has a proclivity for building low-key dynamic shifts into his arrangements that help mix things up for listeners rather than succumbing to total predictability. Such moments play especially well during this track.
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Lopez packs some of his best lead guitar into the blues “When the Sun Goes Down” and the slow rollick of the track as it swings towards its inevitable conclusion will make it one of Lopez’s live favorites. There’s sunlight streaming through much of the song “See the Light” and the organ, in particular, radiates enormous energy during the song’s second half. “The First Time” may be a jolt for some. You may end up pegging as the album’s obligatory acoustic blues, but it’s one of the major works included on this album. The amount of on the spot ingenuity demanded to pull off the song’s guitar is worth the price of purchase alone.
“Nasty Crime” leaves scorched earth behind it as Lopez uncorks one blinder after another. His guitar playing unquestionably is the bedrock on which everything stands, and, like his vocals, longtime listeners won’t hear stasis. They’ll hear a guitarist whose restless creativity is always searching for new and higher mountains to climb. It’s the sort of approach that breeds return business. Lopez isn’t merely trying to re-create the music he loves, he’s trying to take it a step further into the future.
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“That’s Alright” shows that. It is subtle, but the introduction of rock “light and shadow” into an erstwhile blues guitar workout is a potent mix. You hear the inspiration it leaves on Lopez’s guitar playing, but his vocal efforts are more complex and emotionally rewarding. It’s a well-chosen way to bring Nasty Crime to an end and serves as a punctuation point for one of Lopez’s best albums yet.
Claire Uebelacker