Americana is not an aesthetic created on singularities, and we’re reminded as much quite frequently in the new album Le Olam from Alex Krawczyk. Krawczyk’s poignant singer/songwriter style is given the lion’s share of the spotlight through a diversely-appointed set of material, from the lush country-folk of “Up Ahead” to the jangle pop of a reserved “Turning,” and while others would have been too nervous to go out on a limb as much as she does with the concept in this album, there’s scarcely a moment in which she sounds the least bit intimidated by the task in front of her.
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/alexkrawczykofficial
One of my favorite things about Alex Krawczyk is her willingness to evolve a harmony inside of a single song, such as the Carole King-style “Calling My Angeles” or the hesitant “I Will Take You Home.” She doesn’t just sit on a hook and wait for us to grab onto the swing behind it – she’s aggressively presenting us with melodic growth, even when it means getting bold with a verse (check out “Better Days” and “As a River Does” to hear what I mean). Her moxie is impressive, and it’s undeniably one of the great points of interest in Le Olam.
AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/As-a-River-Does/dp/B09QHKYTMT
Pastoral and yet still very electrifying when and where it counts the most, Alex Krawczyk’s official debut is one of my favorite records to hit store shelves this spring, and judging from the lack of mundanity in its tracklist, I think it’s showcasing a singer/songwriter in Krawczyk who critics need to keep an eye on. She’s already got a lot of talent coming right out of the gate, and in Le Olam, she makes it clear to any who happen to be listening that she isn’t about to give up a humanizing harmony in the name of creating something predictably marketable. In short, hers is a treasure of a first LP.
Claire Uebelacker