Posted on: January 22, 2008 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Alex Winston – By The Roots / 2007 Pratdral Records / 6 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/AlexWinston /

Alex Winston is trying to break it big. The first track on “By The Roots” is “Misunderestimate Me”, and it shows Winston as an individual that wants to go forth and fit right in with Avril Lavigne, Pink, and Christina Aguliera. There is virtually nothing that distinguishes Winston from these individuals, and this makes me wonder exactly how ey will make it big. There is talent in Winston’s tracks on this EP, but where is the little hook that bring eir fame – where is the hook? The hook comes forth first during “Waiting Game”, here the pop stylings of “By The Roots” is linked to a Queens of the Stone Age type of guitar work (albeit lightened to match the pop approach of Winston). If Winston could continue to link together rock and pop in this way, then I could see eir achieve fame in much the same way as an Amy Lee / Evanescence.

 “High Hopes” has a guitar that has the same type of bite that was first present during “Waiting Game”, and while the track has a slower tempo than was present during “Waiting Game”, there is a sultry style to the vocals that keeps individuals interested. The pop market is saturated pretty heavily at this point, but if Winston will be able to create that one track – something like Feist’s 1234 -0 that can get individuals talking, chances are good that individuals on pop rotation stations will start dropping Winston’s name. Whether Winston will be able to do that is something that has yet to be seen, but the tracks on “By The Roots” showcase a band that has a tremendous amount of talent and a singer that can hang with the established pop stars of the current period. Give the disc a go if you wish to hear the wave of the future.

Top Track: High Hopes

Rating: 7.1/10

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