12 Bar Club-London - Monday 18th February 2008

In between the hustle and bustle of a busy London evening stands the 12 Bar club on Demark Street, well known to music people of course as the street that shaped the coffee shops and happening music and record shops of the 1940s,50s and 1960s.Tin pan alley sounds, the Stones recorded there first album at Regent sounds studios.

Tonight the dimly lit club plays host to the ever increasing talents of 20-year-old singer songwriter Alex Lipinski. Now living in London and steadily building a reputation as a hard working singer songwriter plying his trade armed with guitar, harmonica and a hand full of well presented tunes.

He takes to the stage set on a small platform raised above the seated audience in a velvet jacket, New York City t shirt almost with an air of grace and quickly starts with ’Goodbye Lullaby’ and an almost immediate likeness to Ryan Adams and countrified sounds from days gone by spring to mind. He pours out "my heart drowned in your potion" and he takes the listener to a sort of Buckley era Grace. The up tempo ’In Two’ follows and then is led into the slower ’In my arms’ with its feeling of lost and playfulness as the refrain of "Stumble to my feet" catches you adrift.

The thing about this singer songwriter is that you never know what direction he’s going, one minute it’s the countrified busker who sits at the bar as the sun comes up, the next its 63 era Beatles as with ’I think you Know’, foot stomping rhythms abound with a harmonica that carries the song and its singer even further.
Perhaps my favourite of the night was the beautifully heartfelt ’All of the Teasers’ like a romance gone wrong, a search for something that’s not quite ever going to be the same.

The set ends with ’When will I be home’…who knows but it could be a long time if this young singer songwriter continues to develop and mature as each stage progresses.
Home may just have to wait.

Chris Kerridge - Reverb

 

Bristol Evening Post Review - The Fleece, Bristol - Tuesday 4th September 2007

The last time Alex Lipinski played The Fleece it was a solo acoustic set, but this time he had brought a band along and they did a sterling job of equalling Alex's powerful voice.

'I Think You Know' had a 1950's beat and harmonies that recalled the Beach Boys and even The Everly Brothers, whom Alex acknowledged as influences. 'Take Your Time', meanwhile, had a laidback groove that perfectly suited the lyrics.

With his mature, diverse songs and confident stage presence it's a surprise to learn that Alex is only 19 years old.

HELEN SLOAN