Tampa, FL based; The Alex Lopez Xpress (ALX), blow things up a notch with Retro Revival, but it’s not quite what the title suggests, as it covers a wide range of new blues rock to hear as well. It stands out on its own two feet in the Lopez catalog but still retains all the power to move it forward within the blues rock genre. “One More Time” is the lead off cut, and although it nearly speaks for the whole album, it quickly moves out of the way and Retro Revival breathes all it can from there, with a quality collection of smoldering blues rock with a funky side.
These songs all bring a lot to chew on for the blues and rock community, with hot licks and lyrics full of self-awareness and modern society concerns. “Your Lovin’” is the second cut, and it’s a searing piece of work with Lopez letting it all hang out on guitar and vocals. The songs on Retro Revival primarily follow a road ready spirit, with Lopez occasionally hinting toward missing who and what’s left behind on tour, as evinced on this and other tracks, such as the next song “When I Sing The Blues.”
“Here I Am” is all about right now and trying not to go into a tailspin with the rigors of post pandemic blues, and coping with everything it handed down while trying to adjust, and it does the business showing where Lopez is coming from. “What The World Needs Today” is one of Retro Revival’s highest standard songs in terms of getting the entire point of the album, as it needs some of the old values back without blasting the world deep into the throws of the past. And it bubbles along very nicely to the credit of Lopez.
“Hey Little Sister” is reminiscent to me of bands like Rockpile with Dave Edmunds and Nick Lowe, in the sense of how blues and rock go together, as if it were influenced by such artists and songs of the past. This comes with marvelous bass playing and a thumping rhythm, with searing guitar work from Lopez. It comes just in time before cooling things off and heating back up in one fell swoop on “Angry” with its imminent gripes about whatever it might be, and this is another high point on Retro Revival, as it comes to a clear and present climax.
More rock with blues flavors is to be found on “Loving You Gives Me The Blues” with Lopez recalling how he doesn’t recall the effect love has, catching himself in a paradox. “Name Of Love” sustains the concept of love and how it applies to Lopez and everyone listening. This brings Retro Revival to one of the coolest cuts on the album with “Black Hole” making its late but vital appearance, and Lopez knocks another one out of the park with a soothing straightforward radio friendly song. It makes you pause for a moment of reflection, before “Keep On Living” encourages listeners to do exactly that.
Mindy McCall
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