Alex Vans & the Hide Away

Alex's broad-but-never-bombastic voice is the first thing that strikes the ear, calling to mind Jeff Twee...dy, or maybe even the kind of vocalist Conor Oberst might grow up into (if Oberst cared to grow up). Just beneath the spare, plaintive vocals lies Alex's sunny Hendrix and SRV-inspired guitar riffs, creating a bittersweet pastiche that evokes Beck's "Sea Change" period. Not gratuitously, he seamlessly adds in some phrasing nods to the Beatles and The Arcade Fire that serve to add to the tension between traditional and modern sounds.