Posted on: March 20, 2012 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Begin Again is Alex Montanez’s debut recording, and it represents an album that will stick with listeners long after it spins to a close. Listeners only need to focus on just a few seconds of Superman to understand this; the honest and earnest style cultivated on this EP is unheard of in current music. The singer / songwriter genre is jam-packed with artists, making it difficult for a performer to be heard. Montanez is able to differentiate himself from the rest of the pack by creating innovative arrangements and larger than life vocal stylings.

I believe that the creative process at play during the creation of Begin Again deserves further delving; the tracks on the album were recorded over the space of five years. Where this would typically mean that the resulting disc is muddled and lost, I feel that Montanez is able to showcase his evolution as an artist. While the emotional intensity of Routine Lullaby immediately tugs at listeners’ heartstrings, Light Bulb showcases a greater focus on the overall finish and feel of the track. Taken together, these tracks provide listeners with considerable information about where Montanez has been and will go as a musician. The connecting thread here has to be an everyman appeal, where Montanez speaks equally well to anyone listening in.

Check out Begin Again at your earliest opportunity; Montanez is currently offering the release for download free from his website. Make sure to check out Montanez’s schedule for any upcoming live dates. Begin Again is a stellar debut, and I would love to see (and hear) where Montanez goes in the months and years to come. I will be utterly contented if future titles continue this bold and confident (yet human) approach.

Top Tracks: Future On Fire, Superman

Rating: 8.4/10

Alex Montanez – Begin Again (CD) / 2012 Self / http://www.reverbnation.com/alexmontanez

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