A surfer from California isn’t the place that you would most likely find yourself looking for Americana rooted, rock music, but this is precisely the case with Alex Woodard. His self-titled album easily begs to be compared to the likes of Bob Dylan or Tom Petty in that his voice is a bit raspy, and rough around the edges. Musically you tend to get those same comparisons for a majority of the album as is evident the moment you hit play and are tossed into the Petty tinged “Older,” and it is followed by “Reno,” a Bob Dylan styled folk song that features a guest vocal and unmistakable fiddle from Nicklecreek’s Sara Watkins. The current single, which has gained Woodard the most attention for this release may just be the standout from the album. “Beautiful Now” was inspired by hotmomsclub.com and talks about the beauty of a woman after she has a child and becomes a mother all wrapped around a perfect delivery in the vocal. The lyrics throughout the album focus on living life through the good and bad and Woodard crafts them in a way that delivers the stories perfectly. It took me a few listens to really understand what Woodaard was going for on this album, and while his style may not find it’s way to the mainstream right now there is easily something special about this album.
