ALEX CAMERON
2022 80s STYLE SYNTH-POP
Oxy Music is the fourth album by Australian pop eccentric Alex Cameron. Everybody likes Mr. Cameron. How can you not? Terrific hooks, buttery smooth synths, and loads and loads of personality in every aspect of the tunes; my favorites being his lyrics and vocal performances. Following two great albums comes Oxy Music, and a concept one at that. It’s a pretty basic premise of a character being addicted to drugs and one that isn’t exactly a stranger to Cameron’s oft traveled topics of hard luck and tough living. To my surprise it never really gets off the ground. With only a few dashes of Cameron’s trademark cleverness a complete lack of emotional punch that you would expect with the subject. At a time when the opioid epidemic has never been worse, when across the globe habits are breaking our mothers and our fathers and our sons and our daughters the words that come to mind about this record purportedly built around it are anemic and underdeveloped.
On the sonic side of things it’s still that 80s pop aesthetic that is his claim to fame but with a few changes over his previous works. The audacious bravado of Cameron’s vocals has been swapped out for a low-key rasp and the bright synths reigned in for a much more subdued overall sound. It’s different, not negative, but when the songwriting gets wishy washy it’s even easier for your brain to wander away from what’s coming through your ears. That said there are three killers in the listing, namely Best Life, Sara Jo, and K Hole, not very coincidentally they are the singles. The first deals in an incredibly catchy take on the oppressive nature of being constantly plugged into social media. Cameron slides in a fit of disco dancing over its steady beat and floaty synths. Like any of his best takes the chorus is wonderful and that continues on Sara Jo. An all too familiar tale of the pandemic era concerning all the bullshit circulating through the air. Great horns flank Cameron’s stationery grooving with a knock-out hook that is easily one of the best of the year so far.
Then there is the moody shoulder swaying of K Hole and yes we are finally on the aforementioned concept of this concept album. For those not in the know a k-hole is the sedated daze that results from using a large amount of ketamine. It’s got desperation, love, and loneliness with its irresistible cadence. After those three though the operative word becomes flat. Like on Hold The Line with the awkwardness of its jubilant instrumentation, the unseemly chorus that goes on much too long, or its core piece of word play; pairing up holding the line with lines of drugs. A little on the nose sure and once mixed with the other poor ingredients I want nothing to do with it. That’s followed up with the beach bum balladry of Breakdown with one of Cameron’s most inspired hooks.
If I have a breakdown, will you break up with me?
I almost like the closer and title track Oxy Music but throwing the acidic Jason Williamson of Sleaford Mods fame on top of your sequined jacket synths is just not it, there are a lot of comparisons I could go for, oil and water, toothpaste and orange juice, you get the point. The ending refrain would have much more weight if there was a story worth caring about before it. As is it’s a little catchy but mostly hollow.
And if you want some fun
My son
You only need one bullet in the gun
You only ever need one bullet, my son
Oxy Music is sad but not in the way I wanted to be, it’s a disappointment from the cover with its shades of David Bowie to my brief contemplation upon its conclusion. Let me make it clear that it’s not a bad album, just lackluster but with all the knowledge of what Alex Cameron is capable of artistically it feels like a major let down.
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