A-Lex’s Justified is an incredibly open and raw piece of music and writing that deals very honestly with some of the deepest emotional struggles that come with modern life. Beginning as it means to go on, the song opens up with that key idea, that title concept, and progresses in a way that explores the storyline further and in much more detail.
The gradual rising intensity as this song opens up makes for a brilliantly captivating and passionate moment that leads you addictively into the center of the music. The performances of every single element have been creatively and skilfully executed. Initially, the drums are the first thing to highlight this, soon followed by the rhythmic and melancholy energy of that soundscape. Nothing ever wavers, once the quality reaches that level it remains, though the weight of the music falls away intermittently – as a songwriter the artist has crafted the track with full awareness of the structural requirements to keep it interesting. It works really well. The melody of that leading riff stays with you long after listening – it has both a freshness and a familiarity that just makes sense here and draws you to listen again.
Creatively, the mash-up seems an unlikely meeting of releases, but the artists involved have made it work. The musicality throughout is vibrant and forever interesting, even minimal on occasion – falling away almost entirely at certain moments. On top of this, there’s an inherent sense of emotion at precisely the moments that require a little humanity and realness. A-Lex perfectly underlines the increasing depth and passion of the track Justified
, leading finally to a mellow and extremely moving rendition. The arrangement of the Justified builds you up effectively to this point. It’s an unpredictable fusion of tracks, as stated earlier, but it works beautifully. The concept is exciting, being all at once familiar and fresh – recognizable yet new.
There’s a really good sense of balance within the release, and that makes it work well. The crucial elements of songwriting and composition have been incorporated, so the sound is effective – professional, crisp, warm, smooth, and enjoyable. On top of this though, there are just enough flickers of individuality and flair to make it really stand out – it becomes instantly memorable and recognizable. The A-Lex sound is one that is likely to draw listeners in from all musical preferences – for the skill, the style, the enjoyment. Hopefully, it keeps him coming back again and again for future releases and lives shows.
