Local singer-songwriter Alex Northrup’s ambitious new album “Victory Lapse,” out May 30 on Raincoated Records, dips its toes into most pools the listener can think of, from folk to electronic to indie.
Divided into four parts, each with its own distinct flavor, the 21-track project is led by the opening single “Mutually Assured Distraction.” The instruments bounce from organ to electric guitar to toy piano, the vocals range from hushed low tones to yells and it’s all just a taste of Northrup’s seeming delight in keeping the listener on their toes.
Although chamber and psychedelic pop are clearly strong influences, the album as a whole stretches beyond one definable genre, with Northrup trying a little bit of everything. Part I begins the album on the right side of the bed with some real jaunty numbers, but Parts III and IV left me wistful with nostalgic indie-rock influences.
But of the four sections, I found myself returning to the synthy and contemplative Part II, subtitled “Left on Red.” Single “Vespa Cosa II” is a bit surfy, with an optimistic acoustic guitar over a barely there, bubbling synth line. “Appetizers” is a spooky waltz that begs a dramatic slow dance, and “Deserters” starts slow before opening itself into my favorite moment: a positively ripping guitar solo.
It’s a classic cinematic track that builds steadily to its dramatic conclusion — a structure repeated later on (with another equally delicious guitar moment) on “Queer Country,” the nine-minute penultimate track.
Northrup eats from a kingly buffet of musical influences: Kurt Vile, Radiohead, Pavement, Pinegrove, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Flyte and the Beach Boys, just to name a few. That range is not only a treat. It means there’s a track here to suit almost every mood.
Liz Hogrefe is a contributor to CITY.
This article appears in Dec 1-31, 2024.
