Alex Lopez and The Xpress

Retro Revival

Maremil Music Records

Alex Lopez was born in the heartland of rock ’n’ roll, Cleveland, Ohio, and began his musical journey on keyboards before becoming inspired by British blues-rock bands to master the guitar. Influenced by legends such as Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, and The Beatles, Alex spent his young adulthood performing in clubs and recording original songs in small studios, steadily refining his songwriting skills. After moving to Florida to attend college, he spent several years as the vocalist and lead guitarist for the band Reminiscion.

In September 2013, Alex released his self-recorded debut album Back Bedroom Blues, a collection of original songs on which he played every instrument. He followed up in 2015 with Is It a Lie alongside his newly formed band, The Xpress. Subsequent releases included Slowdown and Yours Truly, Me, an album that blended blues with jazz, pop, and funk and peaked at number six on the blues radio charts. His 2021 album Rising Up was recorded during the pandemic, while 2022’s Nasty Crime reached number one on the charts. Following the retirement of his keyboardist, the band evolved into a muscular three-piece unit, leading to the 2023 release Looking for a Change.

Alex Lopez and The Xpress currently consist of Lopez on guitar and vocals, England’s Steve Roberts on bass, and Japan’s Kana Leimbach on drums. Lopez wrote or co-wrote all eleven songs, blending traditional blues foundations with rock-driven energy.

The album opens with “One More Time,” evoking the timeless blues themes of love lost, love gained, and love endured as Lopez sings, “One more time to love you before I leave this town.” “Your Lovin’” follows, with Lopez lamenting emotional mistreatment as he sings, “The way you treat me, baby, you keep me in such pain. The way you tease me, baby, coming back again.”

“When I Sing the Blues” opens with a mournful guitar introduction before settling into a slow-burning lament. Lopez sings, “The way you left me, baby, you took all that I have, and you hurt me, baby, I can take no more of that.” On “Here I Am,” he turns a cynical eye toward the outside world, observing, “Trying to pay the mortgage, send my kids through school, everyone’s forgotten what they call the golden rule.”

“What the World Needs Now” rocks with optimism as Lopez chants, “A little bit of loving, a little bit of hope, a little bit of patience, find some way to cope.” “Hey Little Sister” brings a bouncy, bluesy appeal for appreciation and authenticity, as Lopez sings, “Not enough money, but I got good loving, that’s all you need.”

On “Angry,” Lopez vents frustration with biting honesty, groaning, “Seems the sky is on fire and everyone is a liar, angry here to justify, angry here to testify.” “Loving You Gave Me the Blues” returns to heartbreak as he confesses, “Never knew loving you gave me the blues.”

“In the Name of Love” restores a sense of hope and resilience, while “Black Hole” delivers a bluesy shuffle about unrequited love, with the band joining on the vocal as Lopez pleads, “I need your love, get none, got no place to go, pulled into the big black hole.”

The album closes with the heartfelt “Keep On Living,” where Lopez croons, “Time to keep on living, take what I’ve been given, find my path to heaven.”

Muddy Waters once said, “The blues had a baby, and they named the baby rock and roll,” unknowingly predicting the future. Alex Lopez taps directly into that lineage, marrying the raw intensity of rock with the soul-deep essence of the blues.

Richard Ludmerer

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