Album Review: Something New

The write up on Lexytron piqued my interest: a self-produced album pairing an alternative pop rock style with sardonic wit, big choruses, and a painful honesty. That sounds right up my alley, and I was in the mood for something fresh, interesting and… new? It was perfect timing. The creatively offbeat husband and wife musical duo of Lexy and Mike bring us their new album, 5 years since their debut album, Something Blue.

I feel like Something New is aptly named; the track list takes us through 11 songs and it’s quite the sonic journey, as the first few songs feel like they could be from a different album altogether. Elevator is the record’s second track and comes in with an upbeat chorus and a pop-rock sound. I wouldn’t say that this one feels it could go onto a John Hughes movie soundtrack as it was missing some key 80’s identifiers such as Minimoog synth or gated drums. The chorus reminds me of ‘Toot Toot, Chugga Chugga, Big Red Car’, which is undeniably a Wiggles classic, but I imagine was not the intended vision here. Unfortunately, this song was a miss for me but I did enjoy the music video.

Every Little Thing is one of my favourites on the album; with vocal layering, harmonies, and an arrangement of a 2000’s dream-core guitar with a whimsical rhythm. I feel like this song would be perfect to play in the background montage of a main character in a 2000’s rom-com (think ’10 Things I Hate About You’) where they are reconciling their feelings after having a lover’s tiff. I’m a huge advocate for revival of that sound. On a similar vein, Is It Because? got my attention because it has an emo ballad rock feel, redolent of Evanescence’s early tracks. I interpreted this song as the rage and heartbreak from being rejected by someone you’re devoted to. There is a standout guitar solo and a very catchy hook, it has all the makings to appear on Hauraki FM. Lexy’s delivery of the lyrics is genuine and honest, which is a must when it comes to dealing in this – you can sense when someone isn’t fully invested in the message, which moves it away from heartfelt and into hokey territory.

I personally preferred the track list from Retro onwards as I felt like the arrangement of these tracks best suited the artists and felt more fully realised. The first few songs seemed to be stripped back, giving the vibe of an early version that’s yet to go through final touches. All that being said, I like to see artists explore other genres and sounds, and wouldn’t write it off even if there are tracks that don’t speak to me. I would be keen to see Lexytron perform live, I think seeing the musical duo bring their trademark wit and honesty would make for a great show.

I think Something New is worth a listen as there’s something on there to suit everyone. The musical talent of this couple is evident; I was impressed even more when remembering that they produced this independently. Lexytron have delivered an original project for listeners to enjoy, something that isn’t designed to cater to the masses but rather a way to share their honest takes on love and life.