2020 was a year full of tragedy. The world was in a seemingly-endless lockdown and many people felt nothing but fear and despair.

In the case of Alex Southey, a native of Toronto, Canada it was a period full of beautiful creativity and this can be seen in his recently released album ‘… And the Country Stirred’ which manages to combine many different types of musical instruments to create something unique.

As someone who was previously unaware of Southey’s music, I could also hear and feel the deep personal emotions that he has put into his album. 

An example of this can be heard in the tracks entitled, ‘Rosie’ and ‘In the Kids’ which blends Southey’s choral vocals and instruments together in a way that manages to awaken emotions inside you that will stick with you well after finishing the album.

It was truly an emotional roller-coaster from start to finish and I can’t wait to see what Alex Southey does next.

If you are a fan of folk-music or just looking for something to remind you that even when we are at our lowest we can still create wonderful things, then I highly recommend this album.

Article by James Maines

Musik Magazine 2021