As The Weather Gets Gloomier, Here Is A Summery, Anti-Folk Track From Dallas Multi-Instrumentalist AL That’ll Make You Think Of Brighter Days.

Welcome to Song of the Day, where we hip you to all the new local releases you should be caring about. By highlighting one new North Texas-sprung tune every week day, our hope is that you’ll find something new to love about the rich and abundant DFW music scene five days a week.

AL — “Bikes”
RIYL: the sound of anti-folk
What else you need to know: Teaching lessons virtually and in-person, drumming is his main forte, though AL (Alex Doolittle) also has a knack for other instruments and songwriting. This is the first full-length solo album from him, and in all its whimsy and earnestness, we get a solid sample of what the Dallas-based artist is capable of.

Recorded at home with the help of family and friends, this fun lo-fi debut is a labor of love. Titled ALbum, the cheekiness of the name accurately reflects the songs that it contains. All the songs have a folky, carefree air to them akin to artists like The Moldy Peaches or Jeffery Lewis. Doolittle isn’t afraid to incorporate his sense of humor as well. We see this with not just the album title, but with tracks that poke fun at modern buzzwords like “White Male Privilege,” “Donald” and “Karen.”

But the track we’re focusing on today is “Bikes,” a perfect tune for your inner child. It’s about, you guessed it, bikes — the want to just let go of everything else and ride your bike in the sunshine. It’s cute, nostalgic and a little bittersweet when you put in the context of growing older and dealing with growing responsibility and the state of the world (maybe we’re just projecting.)

The bandcamp description lists the credits of Doolittle’s collaborators to their respective tracks, but this one is all him. The acoustic guitar and drums are fast and loose, his vocal style has a vulnerable tone to it — it’s clear what niche genre it falls under but it doesn’t feel like a copycat. Full of personality and free from stuffiness, “Bikes” is an anthem for better days.

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