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Live Review
by Klam Meraffe
16-4-2003
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| Alexis Strum: babe ain't singing d'blues |
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Live: Alexis Strum
Six Hamilton Place, London
Tuesday, April 15, 2003
Introducing ‘Addicted’: Alexis Strum
After a life of indie-rock covers band, poetry-writing, Uni diploma, freelance journalism, songwriting, singing on other people’s records and a cameo in ‘About A Boy’ flick, you’d be right to assume Alexis Strum to be years older than her 25 figure. To all her previous achievements she now adds a solo career and the first result will be with us on 19 May, a single called ‘Addicted’. Her debut album, yet-to-be-titled, is also ready and will be released later this year.
Developing musical infection at the age of 15, Alexis played with a covers-band ‘round her native Essex, before decamping to study and acoustic-gig the London scene. She also found time to become the Music Editor of her student magazine (interviewing Fun Loving Criminals and Stereophonics) that led to contributing to a style magazine Insync.
At the age of 21 she signed a publishing deal with Warner Chappell and her songs were recorded by Groove Armada and Thrillseekers; Strum also appeared on ‘Understated Love’ for Ed Case’s ‘Ed’s Guest List’ of last year. And, her cameo in Hugh Grant’s starring ‘About A Boy’, she explains as “You can see my legs in a bar scene! The scene starts and it pans out from these two crossed legs with black boots and black trousers…” Yeah, that’s her… part of anatomy.
The debut single is solid portion of electro-pop with a touch of R’n’B-ness to it and it is a fair, unless safe introduction to Strum’s world. The album will contain other highlights, such as sizzling funk of ‘Rodeo’, groove-monster ‘Keep Up’, the dreamy ‘Still’ and powerfully beating ‘Coming On Strong’… Perhaps the latter should be the title of her album?
Her professed influences are N*E*R*D, Coldplay, NWA, Pearl Jam and Nirvana… Not much of this motley crew’s influences were evident last night when Ms Strum performed her debut showcase in London and managed to impress the hardened music execs + employees and cynical media types. She might not change the course of history – and yet, who is? Harry, trumpeting all over the revolution she’s staging? – and the music might be a bit too polite but Strum can certainly provide you with moments of aural joy.
The woman’s got quality and the rest is in the hands of destiny… Or, is that luck? Oh, she ain’t bad looker, either… (It helps at these highly visual times.)
Klam Meraffe
16-4-2003
Alexis Strum’s single ‘Addicted’ is released 19 May 2003 on M.Records/WEA
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