CASSETTE REVIEW: alexalfons “Wide Open Spaces” (Anti-Party Music)

http://alexalfons.bandcamp.com/album/wide-open-spaces 

             First off, I must disagree with the label that this is “Anti-Party Music” because I feel like this cassette could very easily start many parties, or at least the type of parties that I would want to attend.   Though this name might be made in jest, so I find myself wanting to move away from it now.

            The music of ALEXALFONS is not new to me, as I began listening to it around the same time that I really first got into seapunk.   The fact that it is on cassette just goes to further my belief that all good music of this nature should be made available on cassette.   Not only does it work well with headphones, but it'd be amazing in a ghetto blaster also.

            Mentioning the fact that this would sound good via headphones triggers my memory, as when listening to this I wrote in my notes that they should design specific headphones just for it and call them “Beats by A”, if only because this has beats for days.   It isn't quite your standard issued seapunk, but if you like the genre staples it will leave you wondering where it has been your whole life.

            Side B does take a bit of a turn for the more chill side of things.  At least it begins that way, because for the last few songs there are some vocals and they sound like those of rap pioneer Fabolous.  Even if you could consider most of this side chillwave or something to that effect though, it still delivers the goods and has enough beats and rhythm to keep the party going.  

            So why is this called “Wide Open Spaces”?   Does it want you to experience it somewhere like that, such as a giant field?   Or is it because it is designed to open up your mind into vast places?  I like to think it is both of those factors and something else I can't put my finger on and that's okay.