RADAR: Alex Winston
Thursday, July 21, 2011 at 1:28PM
New York-based, Detroit-raised singer/songwriter Alex Winston cites the Motown sound and Chuck Berry (of all people) as influences in her music, but we're hearing lots of Kate Bush and a dab of Joanna Newsom not only in her chirpy, child-like voice but in the far-flung, highly theatrical art/pop studio productions. Drawing a bit on her operatic training in phrasing and sky-high melodic structures, Winston's modern girl-group sing-a-long songs are a blend of the precocious and the precious, smart and exotic whimsy that puts her squarely in the latest cadre of high-concept indie-pop female performers. Scratch just below the glossy surface and you'll find some pretty compelling, proudly quirky songscraft.
Earlier 2011 EP Sister Wife got things underway with a hodge-podge style that she admits came across as a tad "light and fluffy" (though we might beg to differ), but it is her purposely kitschy forthcoming single "Velvet Elvis" (due mid September) and early 2012 debut full-length that she hopes will present her eclectic songs within a larger, more expansive stylistic framework. Winston has tapped in demand Brit producer Charlie Hugall (Florence and the Machine) and Björn Yttling (Lykke Li, Sarah Blasko) as well as old friends The Knocks to help her shape the sound of her new songs and, judging by "Elvis", there are some interesting things ahead.
Alex Winston - "Locomotive" (from Sister Wife EP)
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