Smack in the middle of Never Heavy Is One Full of Light, veteran singer/songwriter Steve Alex’s second album under the Never Heavy moniker, is a gently reflective confessional acoustic ballad that is probably the sweetest apology from an artist to a loved one ever. On “Too Involved,” he admits, “I’ve been too involved/I’ve been too involved with nothing/More than a way to hide or/Fumble with happiness inside.” In his album notes, Alex admits its about “missing out on life together while I’m doing stupid shit like songwriting.”
We get it Steve, but wow, what indie alt rock fans would have missed out on these past few decades had you not done that edgy, hard-poppin’ songwriting as lead singer of Four Star Riot. Unlike many lead singers of popular hard rock bands who make a clean break before exploring the softer side of their artistry, Alex is still keeping the fire flowing with FSR, whose latest release is Modern Living (2023). As impactful as he is as a rocker, there’s something transcendent about the stripped down, sonically expansive and sometimes even dreamy magic he brings to the Never Heavy experience, especially on the new collection.
While the jangly, mostly acoustic (but with a steel guitar harmony and bit of percussive energy halfway through) opening track “Bottle the Sun” is in part inspired by a report he heard on the science of AI-assisted fusion energy, most of these infectious and supremely melodic and lyrical tunes are coffeehouse ready introspections. On “On the Go,” the singer only needs less than three minutes to reflect on an exhausting series of makeups and breakups and his attempts to make things work after a major blowout. His vocal may be sweet and subtle on the truly exquisite follow-up song “Anything More,” but the thing he’s sharing is the powerfully emphatic message that despite problems, at the end of the day, he only needs his loved one.
Alex artfully puts that sentiment into a gauzy nostalgic setting on “Lost With You,” portraying himself as a lovable loser on the sidelines tuning out the big metaphorical football game out so he can just be with the object of his desire. At one point, on the moody, atmospheric “I Suppose,” he makes a statement about human connection via the concept of lonely satellites drifting in space. Just so we know his head is not always in the clouds when it comes to relationships and solving problems, he makes sure we understand the intensity of life’s “Highs and Lows.”
Some fans may see the brief instrumental coda piece “Owl” as superfluous, but it has some of his most beautiful and vulnerable guitar playing. While it’s clear that Alex will never quite become a former rocker, here’s hoping he graces those of us with gentler tastes with more of his truly Never Heavy vibe in the future.
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