Alex Gardner

We’ve been keeping an eye on 18 year old Scots‘man’ Alex Gardner since seeing him perform live last summer and while it was an acoustic set hearing his rich soulful voice and knowing that he was working with Xenomania meant that it would be silly to underestimate this.

This is very much Girls Aloud’s Xenomania rather than Vagabond’s but it’s interesting to hear that sound with a voice that hasn’t been put through a million machines. The songs are downbeat love songs, something Xenomania can do very well (Call the Shots, I Wish) and his gorgeous voice is striking. This is what differentiates him from a lot of male pop singers but what differentiates him from some acoustic signers like Paolo Nutini or James Morrison is that the songs aren’t dull. The only thing that may be missing is personality which doesn’t exactly shine through but it’s still early and with a decent video that could change and being good looking won’t harm him. Xenomania have transformed him from another acoustic singer to a singing and songwriting pop star. No male singer that’s been trying to do this sort of thing has broken through recently but he could be the one. It’s fair to say that Alex Gardner is a good package.

The first single is I’m Not Mad, released in March, and it’s very good.

Other good songs include Heartbreak which is bigger, poppier and more soulful all at once and the George Michael comparisons make more sense and Yesterday’s News which has pop sounds but an acoustic song’s chorus.

There Goes My Heart, an acoustic ‘number’ which is sweet and listenable is a free download from his website.

There are some clips and some acoustic versions of the songs on his MySpace.