BBC Radio supported Norwegian artist Aleks Grey releases his debut album, Boys get sad too.
By Graeme Smith
With his debut album, Aleks gives us a snapshot of what it’s like to be in your 20s. Those who are still fortunate to be in the predicament will find a lot about it to relate to, while those of us who have racked up a few more years can look back on it with a knowing smile.
He certainly captures the heightened emotion of it all, ruminating on heartbreak, heartache, travel and evolving friendships. The journey of the album is exemplified by stand out tracks Please come home and Hurt Me. The former provides a light and jaunty acoustic instrumental that contrasts the soul-searching of its lyrics while the latter provides a powerful, cathartic emotional climax to the album. Aleks vocals are at their most expressive during its stirring folk rock arrangement.
Other highlights include the delicate, introspective 28, the ponderous Peter Parker and the pleading, cinematic wonder Someone else. The album features two takes of Aleks’s romantic duet with Iselin Solheim, Five Minutes, and is closed gently by an acoustic version of it.
With his new album, Aleks Grey has perfectly captured the acoustic pop sound and made it his own. His relatable lyrics mean you listen to the album with a smile on your face and a tear in your eye, and its emotional journey is beautifully brought to life by his soulful vocals. It’s a corker of a debut.
The album was recorded in Pytt Studio and Ocean Sound Studios in Norway, and The Cabin Studios in Liverpool. It was co-written with Katya Edwards, Iselin Solheim, Charlie Snyder, and Elizabeth Makris. Aleks produced the album with Sivert Hagtvet and Henrik the Artist.
Boys get sad too will be released Friday 11 October 2024.