It always amazes me that this girl doesn't have a record deal. Not a proper one anyway.
After the debacle in 2008 that was her being let go from Sony, Alexz Johnson has made her own way through the singer/songwriter music scene, literally. A Kickstarter campaign funded her first solo U.S. tour, followed by a couple of Pledgemusic campaigns that gave her the opportunity to finally tour Europe as well as release two new albums. She's travelled the world twice over, playing small venues and bars with her tiny team of musicians, putting out her music to the fans who have remained loyal since her Instant Star TV days.
It's always exciting whenever she releases new music and with no major release scheduled anytime soon, the announcement that Alexz is joining forces with Bleu (William McAuley) to release an album of duets was definitely enough to get the fans active again. It's almost like they've all come out of hibernation and the joy that is still rippling through Tumblr is astounding.
Two tracks have been released via the duo's SoundCloud so far: Illuminated Dream, and The Promise.
Both sound like traditional Alexz tracks (I have no experience of listening to anything by Bleu, so I can't say the same for him) but with the difference of having an experienced producer having worked on them - they sound more polished than her own home-made music, much more refined and honed in. It's nice, it's the type of music she deserves to be able to make. Her vocals are smooth and gentle, gliding over the singer-songwriter-pop guitar and synth combos.Their vocals compliment one another's beautifully.
Everything about these tracks is pretty and I really, really, like what I've heard so far. I can't wait for the finished record (and the live versions as 'Johnson and McAuley', as they're calling themselves, are playing a couple of shows in the U.S.).
