Singer/Songwriter Rob Alexander is Back With New Single

In his last few successful singles, Rob Alexander has come out swaggering with nearly every verse he sings. The confidence has a big effect on his music, with even sad songs having a bit of optimism sunken between the lyrics and growing stronger with the melodic presence of the instrumentation. In his new single “Yesterday’s News,” however, Alexander is swapping out whopping confidence for a reserved expressiveness that is perhaps even more fetching than his normal attitude is. Lyrically, “Yesterday’s News” has a searching theme that conflicts with its happy-go-lucky rhythm, adding intrigue to what was already a layered narrative to begin with. This is deeper poetic territory for this singer/songwriter, but he’s proving to handle it exceptionally well in my opinion. 

Alexander has total ease with the strings in this piece, and even with the faint touch of the synthesizer, all of these harmonies sound really fresh and righteous. This isn’t a processed pop single that was made to have a funk-style beat; it’s real, carnal emotion pushing this groove along, which is why the percussion is able to be as clandestinely situated in the mix as it is. “Yesterday’s News” has different levels to its story, and after a few listens it’s difficult to deny just how much is going on here, both from in a lyrical and instrumental sense. This is a poetic protagonist who doesn’t know where they’re going, just that they have to step away from the past – preferably as quickly as possible. 

I’m getting some serious remix potential from this track, and I think that with a little tweaking you could convert “Yesterday’s News” into a full-fledged club single as loud and proud as any standard EDM release. Frankly, I think Being Myself and Dream out Loud the same have a number of songs that could be touched up for a proper rerelease just for the club scene, and “Yesterday’s News” could sport an electrified groove even easier than the one it’s packing in this incarnation with the right bassline behind it. If that isn’t having flexible artistry in 2022, I don’t know what it is, and it’s honestly one of the last corners of the creative universe left for Rob Alexander to explore with his fabled ambitious personality. 

The versatility of this singer/songwriter’s last LP was a major element of its appeal, and “Yesterday’s News” is definitely the record’s most provocatively stylish single. Rob Alexander’s voice could turn a lot of simple music into superstar-quality anthems, but he isn’t going for the easy sell with a single like this one. He’s still trying to grow as an emotive composer, and his lyrical wanderlust is one of the most fetching elements of this specific performance. It’s something I’m dying for him to use even more when he’s creating original material, and depending on how long it takes for him to get back into the studio for a follow-up to Dream out Loud, I think this track will create even more traction for his increasing profile in independent pop music. 

Mindy McCall