Tāmaki Makaurau based muso and producer Hugh Piesse is Alec. This act is bringing us a new album named Endless Pasture, out on 16th June 2024, with the promo single Another Party blazing the trail for the release. And yep – blaze brightly it does.

I’ll refer to the act by the band name, so Alec has released a dream-pop infused rock number with a number of sweetly surprising twists and turns. An opening that for some reason got me thinking of Beck, leads into an imaginative mix of woodwind, brass and acoustic guitars sitting over a crisp bottom end and a synth base. A vocal that’s got a non-challenging melody, which allows for some atmospheric delay and reverb to sit across it, gives it its dreamy, fantasy-like aura.

It moves along at a decent tempo, and never loses steam. We’re not talking about an in-your-face rock jam: this is a pure indie pop number. And you indie fans are actually going to love this one, so treat yourselves to a good listen. As to the context of the lyrics, from the EPK: “Another Party is about a guy trying to escape his flooded apartment after partying all night. It’s probably about a gradual accumulation of problems that he’s brought upon himself, manifesting in naive escapist fantasies of running away with someone they’ve already dragged down with them.”

It comes over heartfelt and warm in the delivery, and will fit into a number of playlists and on stations anywhere. Other than that little Beck flash at the start it’s genuinely quite original in sound, with that ethereal result on the mic delivered by Hugh‘s strong tenor. He’s balanced it nicely and found the sweet spot for the blend of treble and bottom. I can see it getting considerable airplay around the country, with some national commercial stations definitely in the cross-hairs for it. I hope it gets a heap. It’s really worth it.

It’s the kind of song to play in company. A run, a drive, at the pub, and definitely compelling to think of how it’ll come over live. Strong promo for Alec for the forthcoming sophomore album. If the rest is this good, we’re in for a great experience. Get into it.