Alex Lopez - Night Closing In

From the Album: Looking for a change, Year of Release: 2023#blues#bluesrock Lyrics: Night Closing In Heavily influenced by the British invasion and guitar heroes of the 1960’s and 1970s, Alex Lopez borrows from some of those artists with a rocking bluesy feel and an edge that many have attempted since. His newest album Looking For A Change is a down and dirty 10 tracks, partly because of the strength of his talents and his power trio but also because of the over driven guitars, the jazz influence and syncopated rhythms. Groove is a big part of Looking For A Change and it’s better for it. Guitarist, singer, songwriter Alex Lopez is more than meets the eye. And sometimes that’s better than an artist or their publicist pushing the accomplishments. Lopez is a musician’s musician, blending rock-blues with influences from Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones and Cream. You can’t help but hear his devotion to Cream on this album, and he puts that to good use with catchy hooks and percussive guitar riffs. His voice alone is different–craggy in all the right places, full of character and soul. That’s the real deal of the 60s and 70s that many of us love—the lack of pristine, polished vocals that still smell of last night’s whiskey, the gritty guitar that plunges through today’s overly-rehearsed guitar work. It’s the nuance of live performance that Alex Lopez uses on Looking For A Change. His power trio is tight, the drums with just enough Ginger Baker to pull the rhythm section together in unpredictable ways. And that’s in part what makes this album so interesting—its rawness and spare production. Lopez and his trio are good enough musicians to make that sparkle with originality. Take the first track “Train.” A little jazz spin on this rocker that features Lopez on vocals and guitar. It’s pure funky rock and roll that has a Stones-ish rhythm guitar part with a little Led Zeppelin guitar zap thrown in. An entirely original bent with Lopez and his power trio going to town. Seriously, this guy is talented and so are drummer Kana Leimbach and bassist Steve Roberts. From Florida, Lopez returns to his roots with his new album Looking For A Change. Rock and roll from the 60s and 70s is obviously his love and it couldn’t be more apparent than on his seventh release. With nine all original tracks and one cover by, you guessed it, Cream, the album is flush with catchy guitar hooks, interesting vocals and bare-bones production that isn’t anywhere near Pro Tools or AutoTune. And for that we can be thankful. Along with the rocking tunes, you’ll find the jazzy/bluesy “Spanish Moon.” A slow blues with Lopez’s voice at its best. He takes advantage of his vocal range here, along with some beautiful guitar riffs. His voice brought me back to Gary Moore, a good thing. Original. A sultry love song and one helluva guitar solo—sizzling and soulful. “Wild As The Wind” and “She” bring us back to syncopated rhythms and groove. In fact most of the album’s gas is groove, powered by Lopez and his trio playing what they love best. Closing the album is Cream’s “Politician” with bass player Steve Roberts on lead vocals, with more than just hints of Jack Bruce. That unmistakable Cream guitar riff locks it down but with the Alex Lopez touch. The song is gritty, grungy and unpolished in a polished way that only outstanding musicians can muster. Lopez’s over driven guitar work is almost chill-worthy, pushing things to the edge. This isn’t a Cream copy though—it’s Alex Lopez’s interpretation and it rocks. You can download the music : VIDEO COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER: Video is made for entertainment purposes only and you can download this track on any authorized website such as, iTunes and ... No copyright infringement is intended in the making of this video. All rights to published audio, video, graphic and text materials belong to their respective owners. If you are the author or copyright owner of any of the material I use, and you don’t like it to be used by me, please contact: I recommend you my channel Blues & Rock Ilija Capko