Most of us enjoy good music every day. But truly great music? The kind of music that gets under your skin and into your heart and permeates every cell? That’s so much rarer. That’s the kind of music Jim Alxndr delivers on his new EP Feelings Worth Living For.
That title instantly struck me. It raises such expectations. You’d better evoke powerful emotions when you dare to give an EP a name like that. But from the moment the lush, layered vocals of the opening track “Sticks and Stones” kicked in, I thought he might just deliver on what he’s promised.
Naarm/Melbourne-based Jim is a talented producer who’s worked with the likes of Carly Rae Jepsen, Jack Garrett, and Paul Moody. It gives him a unique understanding of music that really shines through this recording. It sounds incredible, with rich vocal harmonies and electro-acoustic sound collages. The music wraps around exquisite lyrics. They’re introspective, yet somehow so relatable. I found myself moved time and time again. When the stunning closer “The Light” faded out, I had to take a few moments to compose myself. And then listen again.
“The songs on Feelings Worth Living For all feel like big, understanding hugs to me. Like the best friend you call at 2 am crying cause you know they’re gonna pick up and you know they’re gonna accept you no matter what you’re going through. Or the picture of your partner on your phone lock screen that you look at and can’t help but smile at,” Jim explained. “The songs seem to listen to my thoughts and give me back an understanding of our current existence – hence the name of the EP.”
Take some time to listen to Feelings Worth Living For. In a world where so much music seems disposable, this is one EP that will encourage you to keep coming back for more.
Images used with permission from beehive