Alex Ho

𝙋𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙇𝘼 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝘼𝙡𝙚𝙭 𝙃𝙤, 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙨𝙪𝙖𝙫𝙚, 𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡-𝙗𝙤𝙙𝙞𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙝𝙡𝙮 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙉𝙏𝙎 𝙧𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙤 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙈𝙤𝙤𝙣𝙮 𝙃𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙩𝙨 𝙫𝙞𝙖 𝙚𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙩𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙡𝙚-𝙩𝙤𝙚𝙙 𝙮𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙩 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙜𝙞𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙚-𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙨.

Satin-cut and soused in atmosphere, Ho’s debut album is a melt-on-mind treat for those who like it smooth and sensual. Melding his cirrus falsetto soul vocals with feathered synth pads and keys, the vibe is unmistakable from the opening crimson synth flush and latinate shuffle of ‘Miss Suzuki’ to the dawning panorama and murmuring rhythms of ‘TYFC’, sashaying thru inch-tight emulations of a classic, grown-up ‘80s soul style a la Dam Funk or Nite Jewel that equally evokes imagery of Brian de Palma flicks as much as David Hockney’s seductively inviting pool portraits.

Make sure to check for high grade drip between the skin-tingling glow of ‘Idle Eighty’, the instrumental synth-pop soul élan of ‘Mark’, and sweetest echoes of Ryuichi Sakamoto in ‘College Crest Walk’, and the balmy coos of ‘Neary’.