Positive Love is the debut album from singer/songwriter, Alexander Vlachos aka Greater Alexander. Alexander is currently based in Southfield, Michigan (via New York and Athens). His music tells tales of life’s balance of positivity and negativity, love and hope.
Indie-folk in nature, Greater Alexander’s music features classical and acoustic guitars, piano, and African and Latin percussion instruments. The result is a lush, rich musical tapestry, performed with genuine heart and appreciation.
Positive Love opens with the simple, yet captivating “Any Way Out of It” which is the perfect introduction to the music of Greater Alexander. The track features layered vocal tracks that collide and intertwine, resulting in beautiful harmonies. This is a technique featured in many of the tracks on Positive Love, but they are done so masterfully that it never becomes boring or old-hat.
Title track, “Positive Love” is somewhat reminiscent of Iron and Wine in its mellow yet upbeat arrangement. Here we are introduced to the falsetto range of Alexander’s voice, which has a fragile vulnerability to it.
It’s hard to fault Positive Love. Every track has its merits and Alexander’s lyrics, melodies, arrangements and harmonies are all a delight to listen to. Particular standouts include the hopeful “Better Days” whose lyrics tell us that there are more memories and experiences in store, “Let It Be Me,” “Baby Steps” and the hauntingly beautiful “In the Stillness of Water.”
Comparisons to Bon Iver, Iron & Wine, and Simon & Garfunkel are all fair, yet Greater Alexander is absolutely an artist in his own right. Positive Love is an indie-folk gem, and simply must be heard. Take note: Greater Alexander is a true talent, and most definitely one to watch out for.
