Alex Spinney – Painting Houses (2022)
In his last single ‘Boodiyayay’, singer-songwriter Alex Spinney touched on the ending of a relationship. Now, in ‘Painting Houses’, he takes us one step further moving from revenge to that desperate feeling when you hear your ex has moved on. Already featured on The Other Side Reviews a couple of times, we are aware of Spinney’s unique sound and shared our opinions. Yet, we are not the only bloggers singing Spinney’s praises with coverage from Find Your Sounds, Indie Top 39, Pop Passion Blog, Nexus Music Blog and various playlists.
Referring to his music as “piano-based pop”, Spinney might be held in the same genre as Jamie Cullum; however, he certainly has an edge over Cullum with his simplistic elegance. Someone once said that Santana made a guitar sing and, in my opinion, Alex Spinney makes the piano sing whether it is in the back or fore of his singles. In ‘Painting Houses’, Spinney draws together drums, guitars and the piano in an eclectic arrangement.
Immediately sending you swirling into a pool of sound, the acoustic-inspired ballad slides down a kaleidoscopic soundscape. Unlike ‘Boodiyayay’, ‘Painting Houses’ is smoother, softer and more mellow. Yes, many artists are versatile in this way, but Spinney’s new song highlights a sophisticated honing of his sound. The more soothing melody has a wistful feeling in the beginning, but the intensity of his piano pushes poignancy into the tune as it progresses.
Mild, warm and charming, ‘Painting Houses’ is something you can easily listen to while lying on your bed; however, there is a deeper intimacy to the complicated theme. Spinney explains that ‘Painting Houses’ “…captures that unique feeling you get when you hear that your ex has settled down with a new partner and…even though you’ve technically moved on you’d rather not have heard about it.” A universal and relatable feeling no doubt, but I don’t believe I’ve heard it portrayed so elegantly.
A sonic representation of the gut-wrenching, mouth-drying, mind-numbing feeling of your ex settling down with another person, ‘Painting Houses’ is heart-breaking and therapeutic. Alex Spinney already won my heart with his previous material, but this new single is completely overwhelming (in a good way). I can’t wait to see what else Spinney has for us in the future.
For more from Alex Spinney check out his Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
