The Bath singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist outdoes himself on his recent release
Orchestral pop is hit-and-miss. Done poorly, it can ruin a well-written collection of songs. In just a few short years, Alex Pester has learned how to do it remarkably well. Better Days is a majestic achievement. Pester wrote, arranged, produced and mixed the album himself and plays over a dozen instruments. Quite a feat for a twenty-two-year-old. Better Days is the British musician’s fourth release since 2019 and his most fully realized effort.
Alex Pester first began playing guitar at age thirteen, right around the time he acquired a copy of Nick Drake’s Bryter Layter. He made his first recordings a year later using a MacBook and GarageBand, posting his songs on Bandcamp. Teaching himself to play other instruments followed shortly after. Devotion, released in 2019, could be considered his first official album, made at age eighteen while he was studying music at Bath Spa University.
He labels his art Baroque pop and the rich elements in Better Days’ music provide a serene backdrop for these passionate love ballads. Songs are gracefully sung, and the instrumentation is elegant. The intertwining voices on “So What?” demonstrate Pester’s flair for creating intriguing vocal arrangements. Better Days is Alex Pester’s first vinyl release on Violette Records, the UK imprint originally launched to support the solo work of fellow Forever Changes-devotee Michael Head. There’s a 40-year age gap between the two, but Pester and Head would find common ground in their influences.