Blues Rock Guitarist Alex Lopez To Release Highly Anticipated Third Album 'Slowdown'

Blues rock guitarist Alex Lopez and his band The Xpress will be releasing their eagerly awaited third album titled "Slowdown" on MarEmil Records on May 19th! A powerful modern blues album that seamlessly fuses rock and blues and combines it with an unstoppable groove. The album's lyrical theme will also connect with today's world. "Slowdown" tells a story about a person who travels down a path that leads to addiction and their struggle to find a way back home. Each song is a chapter in this saga and the album takes you from innocent beginnings to heartbreaking despair and eventually to redemption and salvation.

Says Alex, "The songs on the album actually came together quickly. About 1/2 the songs are from my back catalogue of previously written songs and the rest were written for the album inspired by the concept and the message. While a lot of the songs are blues based, I am not interested in recycling the blues but adding my twist, blending with other genres and modernizing them. My approach with the band was to bring fairly finished song demos recorded in my home studio to rehearsal where they could inject their style and ideas. Most of the songs were already a part of our live show by the time we entered the studio and so the base tracks were recorded live. My focus and goal was to produce a polished album that sonically stood up but still retained the spontaneity and feel of a live band. I also wanted a big sound but not over-produced so a lot of time and attention was spent on capturing the sound right out of the gate. Atomic Audio did a fabulous job with recording and engineering while Peerless Mastering out of Boston did a great job on the mastering adding the warmth I wanted."

Opening song "Dangerous" is the first step leading to "The Wildlife" while "Slowdown" and "Words of Wisdom" implore caution from those watching the downward spiral. In "I don't know" and "Enough of it" you hear the first self-realization they are on a path to destruction and songs like "Stolen" and "Long Long time" capture the helplessness of watching your loved ones world implode. Eventually hitting rock bottom leads to the quest for forgiveness in "Redeem Me" and salvation and hope in the uplifting and powerful song "Alive."

Not everyone wins their battle with addiction and "I love you Blues" is an emotionally drenched song of grief and pain for those struggling with loss.

The album/story ends with "Slowdown (reprise)" but the CD includes two bonus songs: the heartwarming piano ballad "Dance the Night with me" and the anti-war song "War Without a Face" written for today's uncertain world as a reminder we are all brothers.

The memorable songs on this album are sure to elicit emotion and inspire while the impressive musical performances, from Alex's soulful vocals and masterful guitar work to the band's tight rhythm section and perfect accompaniment, are sure to impress. So sit back relax and enjoy the journey...