Alex Tedesco – Pretty Lies (self released, 2012)

Alex Tedesco – Contempt (self released)

 
This is some weeeeird shit. You might remember Tedesco from his free album Future Strains a couple years back. Well, Pretty Lies doesn’t have much in common with that sonically, but it’s still free! Yeah, you definitely want to go download this. It’s some bizarre experimental pop, with Tedesco goin off the deep end, delivering a dark kitchen sink record with noise punk, anti-folk, electronics, every instrument he can get his hands on, and vocals that defy categorization, insanely deep & rich, like Morrissey singing opera, or maybe like some folk metal bards, very story like, and frequently depressing as hell with lyrics like “I’ll probably die alone but that’s not what I’m worried about. I’m worried about my soul.” This is weird on every level, but still rooted in pop, so there’s recognizable song structures and melodies and shit, even if there isn’t always a chorus to chime in with. It’s not an easy listen by any means, but 1) you like it that way and 2) this beast is free. Ain’t no reason for you to skip over this unless you’re feeling unadventurous, in which case, download it any way and save it for a rainy day.